Retaliation
by Paulina Ann
Summary: *COMPLETE* Sequel to "Hidden Hearts." DotU timeframe. Keith & Allura are married. What is Lotor's reaction? Well, from the title, I'm sure you can guess, that he's not happy. Lotor is not kind in this story. It is darker than any other of my stories. WARNING: Torture is a part of this story. Rating is M for violence. [Keith/Allura pairing]
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of the characters. Only the story is mine.

_**Thanks again Dawn for being Beta to my story!**_

**Setting & Rating: **Takes place in DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this, ever occurred in the series). I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Though it's not in this chapter, be warned that torture is a part of this arc.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental. For those of you who read HH, this story (though not this chapter) is your answer to how Lotor took the news of K/A's wedding.

* * *

**Chapter One: The New Normal?**

_One month after their small wedding and one week after their grand public wedding and coronation…_

Allura opened her sleepy eyes to see her husband sleeping quietly beside her. Keith, husband, together, normal. It was a jumble of words that went through her mind. The last few months had been crazy and the last month had been the craziest. They had informed the Council of their relationship and gotten married all in the same day. Three weeks later, (Allura still didn't know how Nanny had pulled it off) she and Keith had gotten married in a grand public display. It was only fitting to give the people of Arus the wedding spectacle that they had all wanted. The people had been thrilled when they learned that the princess had chosen the Voltron Commander to be her husband. Their cries of support and encouragement after the wedding and coronation still rang in her ears a week later.

Allura's eyes opened more fully, and she looked at Keith lying on his back. He didn't have a shirt on, the covers pulled down to his waist. Unless he put on pajama bottoms during the night, he wasn't wearing anything at all. She started blushing, closed her eyes, and reprimanded herself. They were married now; it was totally appropriate for her to have these kinds of thoughts. She opened her eyes and looked at his arm draped across his chest. She could still see the faint outline of the skull tattoo that he had received when he was first taken to Doom. He had gone through a removal process, but the skin where the tattoo was always had a slightly lighter color. It would always be a reminder.

Her eyes moved up to his profile. She lifted her arm and moved her hand near his head so that her fingers moved through his thick raven-colored hair. Her fingers quickly found the small raised scar and short hair on the side of his head. The wound had healed, and his hair was quickly growing back in to fill the area that had been cut when he had his stitches.

Allura's fingers pulled back quickly as Keith spoke without even opening his eyes. "I can think of better things for you to put your fingers on than that scar." He opened his eyes and turned to look at his wife. He wasn't surprised that she was blushing. As much as she enjoyed their physical relationship, she hadn't gotten used to hearing him make such comments. It was not surprising considering he had never made any romantic, much less, suggestive comments to her before a few months ago. He reached out to take her fingers and brought them to his lips. He knew what she was thinking since she had touched the scar. "I'm fine you know. The ribs and concussion are all healed. I'm okay."

Allura's eyes dropped. He often seemed able to read her thoughts. She had always worried about him during battles, but now that worry had turned into a fear. The fear wasn't born from them having expressed their love, but the fact that their relationship was public. It was a fear that Lotor would single out his Black Lion for destruction, and she would be unable to stop it. It was a fear of helplessness. She only nodded at his response.

Keith watched as her eyes dropped. She was still thinking about him. More specifically, of him being injured or killed by Lotor because of their marriage. Well, he knew how to get her mind off of that.

Allura felt Keith move on the bed and soon felt his warm skin pressed to hers. She hadn't bothered to put anything on last night either. His lips found hers as she felt his hand travel down her bare back. Her thoughts went back briefly to her fears, _He's trying to distract me_. As his mouth and hands moved down her body, the last coherent thought she had was _It's working._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of the characters. Only the story is mine.

_**Thanks again Dawn for being Beta!**_

**Setting & Rating: **Takes place in DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this, ever occurred in the series). I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Though it's not in this chapter, be warned that torture is a part of this arc.

**A/N:** Still not the chapter for Lotor's reaction

* * *

**Chapter Two: Planning for Reprisals - Allura**

_Later at their regular team meeting…_

Keith was getting ready to start the meeting when Lance spoke up, "Um, Captain, since you and the princess, um, Queen, got hitched, we've had more canceled morning Lion practices than actual practices. Do you think we should move this activity to the afternoon or evening instead of the morning?"

Keith looked over at Lance, past a blushing Allura. "You want us to move Lion practice?"

Lance shook his head and the smile he gave showed off almost all of his teeth. "Yes, I was talking about moving Lion practice to the afternoon or evening, not any other 'activities' you may be involved in." He couldn't resist. Keith and Allura were always going to bed early and they often didn't have breakfast with the team because they came down too late.

Hunk, Pidge, and Coran didn't say anything, but they all had smiles on their faces.

Keith's face had taken on a hint of color as Allura's just got deeper in its shade. Keith's eyes narrowed slightly as he answered in a controlled voice, "The only activity that you are allowed to speak of is in relation to the Lion practices. I will take it under advisement. We have… missed too many of them lately. Let's move the time back one hour for the rest of the week and see how that goes."

Even with the stern gaze of his commander on him, Lance didn't stop smiling but just gave a quick salute and said, "Aye, Captain."

Keith cleared his throat and looked at his data pad. The look on his face told them all that what they would discuss next was going to be very serious. "There's a topic we've been putting off for too long. We need to discuss rescue plans if Allura, myself, or both of us are captured by Lotor's forces." The demeanor of the team became very somber as they nodded. Keith turned to Allura, "You don't have to stay for this, I can brief you later." Seeing the questions in her eyes, he reached out and took her hand. "The things we will discuss will be very blunt and may be disturbing for you hear. However, they are things that must be discussed."

Allura squeezed his hand before letting it go. Looking around at the men sitting at the table, she said, "I know that I will be disturbed by the discussion. I don't deny it. However, if I can't even listen to a discussion about being kidnapped and raped by Lotor, how would I be able to endure it if it happened?" She noticed that they all flinched when she mentioned being raped. She knew that would be one of the topics discussed. What she realized now was that the discussion would be just as disturbing for them as it would be for her.

Nodding at her, Keith said, "Very well. Everyone please feel free to bring up whatever you wish. You will not offend or be reprimanded for voicing concerns or ideas related to our possible capture." Keith saw that everyone was in agreement. "I'd like to begin with what we will do if Allura is taken alone."

Hunk spoke up, "Well, I think we would have some time as he thinks he loves her."

"He loved her when she was the virgin princess. I'm not sure he will love the married queen who has been sleeping with his greatest enemy." Lance said without even glancing at Allura.

Keith nodded. "I think we have to look at this from the worst-case scenario and that would be that he is angry with Allura and wants to punish her."

Pidge sounded older than his years as he said, "Do you think he'd wait to get back to Doom to force himself on her or do you think he'd attempt it en route?"

Allura felt her face flaming. Knowing the conversation would be blunt and harsh, she was still a little overwhelmed by it. In spite of her discomfort, she felt the need to speak up. "I think his reaction could depend on how I was captured and how I would respond to him. If he is somehow able to get me away from Arus with relatively little interference from the Force, I think he will wait. However, if he feels that he is being pressured on his way back to Doom, I think he may rape me. Since I am no longer a virgin, he doesn't feel the need of having a sham marriage before he forces himself on me. I'll be fair game to him."

Everyone in the room was impressed at how logical and removed the queen was about this subject.

"And what do you mean, Your Highness, when you speak of how you respond to him?" Coran asked once they had gotten over their initial surprise at Allura's answer.

Allura turned her eyes to Coran, and they were blazing with anger. "Lotor has always had a large ego. If I played to his ego, saying that my marriage was a bad decision. If I said that I was not… satisfied, he might wait, or at the very least, he may be more gentle with me. However, that is probably the best case scenario. If I express my true feelings about him and about my marriage, he will be livid." Her eyes dropped for the first time here. "I am sure that I would be very injured… afterward. I don't think he would kill me. He definitely will not marry me, but I'm sure he'd want to put me on display as part of his harem." From the corner of her eye Allura could see Keith's hand clenched into a fist. His knuckles were white. However, when she heard him speak, she couldn't tell the depth of anger that he was feeling. His stoicism was part of his military training, she guessed.

Feeling his fingernails digging into his hands as Allura spoke about her possible abduction and rape, he kept a tight control of his emotions. He knew she could handle the meeting, but her perceptions of Lotor fit exactly with his analysis. Her ability to see the depravity of her stalker did little to put him at ease though.

"I agree with Allura. Lotor will be a loose cannon when it comes to his punishment of her. We will have to do everything possible to make sure that he doesn't get off the planet with her. We will need to consider the need to fire on the ship that has her. I think that Allura and I will both need to be implanted with a subcutaneous tracking device that we can manually turn on. I think that it should also have the ability to be turned on by Castle Control in case we are not in a position to do so ourselves."

"I will speak directly with Dr. Gorma," Coran said, "and no one else will know of the devices or their location."

Hunk spoke up again, "So the plan for Allura is to do our best to make sure that she doesn't leave the planet, even if it means bringing down the ship." Hunk waited for Keith's reply of 'correct' before continuing. "And what if we are unsuccessful?"

A gloomy silence blanketed everything as Allura responded, "Then you come and get me."

"We should contact Sven and Romelle and work with them to get as detailed a plan as we can of the castle on Doom. We can put our own knowledge in there, but they have more. Romelle, unfortunately will have knowledge of Lotor's private chambers. We'll need it if we are to get the queen out quickly."

"Pidge, I want you to be in charge of working with Romelle and Sven to create an interactive map that we can use for a rescue mission," Keith directed. "We'll work on fleshing out the details of strategies to bring down a ship as safely as possible over the next couple of weeks. We will probably need to work on some simulations for this too. Hunk, I want you to be in charge of the sims." He looked to the big man and he nodded.

Now it was on to the scenario that would probably disturb his wife most. Keith looked down at his data pad as he said, "Now we should discuss scenarios involving my capture."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of the characters. Only the story is mine.

_**Thanks again Dawn for being Beta!**_

**Setting & Rating: **Takes place in DotU in nature. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Though it's not in this chapter, be warned that torture is a part of this arc.

**A/N:** Still not the chapter for Lotor's reaction… Don't worry, Chapter 4 will answer some of those questions…

* * *

**Chapter Three: Planning for Reprisals – Keith**

Having just asked for scenarios about his own capture, Keith found the quiet in the room a little unsettling. No one in the room had any doubt what the commander's final fate would be if he were captured.

Lance had been quiet since his observation regarding Lotor and the queen, but now he spoke up again. "If he gets you, he probably won't do anything to you on the ship unless he's brought some tools of torture with him." Pausing, he looked Keith in the eye and waited for his nod to continue. Lance knew that he and Keith had similar thoughts as to what would happen in this situation. "He will definitely take you back to Doom and torture you for as long as it amuses him, and then he will either kill you or you will die from your wounds. I would say it could be anywhere from days to years, but we would never let you stay there that long." He made sure to hold Keith's eyes as he said it. Keith had to be solid in his belief that they would come for him.

"That's right, Commander, we'd never let you stay there any longer than we had too," Hunk said with emotion. This was obviously a topic that made him angry. Hunk never liked any of his friends getting hurt.

"Thanks Hunk, I know you all will do what you can." Keith looked around the table. "I agree with Lance. I think there will be a small margin of time before he starts working on me. I'm sure he will want to give me a little bit of time to contemplate the pain that he will inflict upon me. With the transponder activated, we have some hope for a speedy recovery." He looked over to Allura who had been staring down at her hands since this portion of the discussion began. It was no surprise that she found discussion of his capture harder to face than her own. In that way, they were alike as it had been incredibly hard for him to hear scenarios regarding her. She was really not going to like what he was about to say. Taking a deep breath, he said it anyway. "I think if given a choice between Allura and me, he would choose to take me. I am the one that he sees as an enemy and now as the defiler of his virgin bride. He will want to punish me before anything else. Everyone should know that if there is a choice to be made between Lotor taking Allura, or taking me, the choice should be to sacrifice me."

Gasping at what he said, Allura reached out to him, apprehension and fear filling her face again. "We've just discussed this. Lotor may rape me, but he will not try to kill me! If you are taken, he could go in a rage at any point and just kill you! It would be the logical thing to let me go!"

There was so much passion in her voice and in some ways she had a point, but… "Allura, it is easier to recover from physical scars than emotional ones. He will not delay any in giving you your scars, but he may take some time before giving me mine. You also have to remember, I promised to defend you with my life. As an Alliance officer, it is also my duty to do so."

Pushing her chair back forcefully, Allura stood and glared at the men around the table. All of them shrank a little in their seats, except for Keith. He didn't agree with her, but he loved the passionate way that she was defending him.

Her voice had an air of haughtiness about it as she looked down upon them and said, "I am sure that all of you agree with him. Your sense of chivalry leads you to the same conclusion as my husband, doesn't it? I don't see it that way. I would be the easiest to locate, the one most likely to survive one of Lotor's rages, and yet you all don't see it. Just know, if I am given the choice, he will take me! I'm going out to get some air." She turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

The men all stared at the door that she had regally exited. Coran spoke first, "That, gentleman, is why she will be a great queen."

Keith cleared his throat again. "In spite of what Allura argued, are we in agreement? If there is a choice of who is to be saved, you will save Allura. If Lotor has Allura, I will offer to switch places if he doesn't make the offer first."

They were all nodding agreement when Pidge questioned, "You think he would offer to swap after he already has the queen?"

"Yes, I think his hatred of me is to that point. I think he may see her as the easier one to capture, so I think he may try to capture her, but his goal will be to get me. Think about it, you already see how Allura reacted to just the discussion of me switching to save her. He will know that will hurt her. Gentlemen, there isn't a winning situation for any of these scenarios. If Allura or I are recovered alive with little scarring, that is the best we can hope. No matter what, there will be scarring of some kind."

The room was quiet as Coran suggested, "Let's table the discussions of a double capture for the time being. I think we would all agree that would be the least likely event. We have a lot to flesh out with the other scenarios as it is."

They were all in agreement, and as everyone left the room, Keith walked over to the one small window in the room. He heard someone walk up behind him. It sounded like Lance, but he wasn't sure until he spoke.

"You don't expect us to find you alive do you?" Lance asked with resignation in his voice. "You don't think we'll be able to get to you in time do you? Man! You've got to believe! Don't give up hope before it even happens!"

Keith glanced over his shoulder at Lance and turned around to face him. He sighed as he said, "It's not that I don't think you can rescue me. I think that Lotor will have someone with me all the time. He'll probably give the order that if there are any alarms, to kill me immediately. Think about it Lance. He hates me. He hates that I've had sex with Allura. Does he want to give me a chance to go back to her? I'm sure he'd rather miss out on his torture than allow that." Keith was shaking his head. "I'd love to come back to Allura." Keith patted Lance on his shoulder as he walked past him. "Make it happen if you can friend, but don't let it ruin your life if I don't make it." He was almost to the door when he stopped and turned back to Lance who was still near the window. "Remember what you promised me about taking care of her. I'll haunt you more than King Alfor if she's hurt."

Lance watched Keith as he left the room. He had meant that last as a joke, but neither of them had laughed. It's not easy to joke about your best friend being tortured to death because he married the love of his life. Shaking his head, Lance thought back. When this romance started, he'd only been thinking of the idyllic scene of Keith and Allura together because they were in love. He hadn't really thought about the grim and grisly aspect of the obsessed evil prince who wanted to destroy the fairy tale happening on Arus. He could only hope that this fairy tale ended in 'happily ever after.'


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters.

**Thanks to my Beta Reader! – Dawn **

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this, ever occurred in the series). I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Though it's not in this chapter, be warned that torture is a part of this arc.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental. And for those of you wanting to know how Lotor took the news of the wedding...

* * *

**Chapter Four: Doom's Plan**

Lotor paced the floor of his father's throne room. A scantily clad serving girl approached him with her head down and a goblet on a tray lifted in front of her. He turned to her and slapped the goblet filled with a dark beverage across the room. "Why did you bring me that? Do you think I am thirsty? I am consumed with anger!" She dropped to the floor cowering. Kicking his boot at her, he said, "Clean up that mess and then remove yourself from my sight." He turned away from her and approached Zarkon's throne.

Zarkon looked down on his son. Having watched him pace for over a month now, the king knew that Lotor was on the edge. The prince had been consumed with thoughts of Princess Allura ever since he had seen her. His obsession had sometimes led to ill-advised attacks on Arus that resulted in defeat. Now the object of his obsession had chosen another, and not just anyone. She had chosen the man that led Voltron in all of Lotor's defeats.

When Lotor had learned of the secret marriage, livid did not even come close to describing his feelings. He had injured several girls and destroyed all the furnishings in his room. Zarkon had even resorted to sedating him for several days just to have some peace in the castle. Every day since he had come out of his sedation, Lotor had come to him with a new scheme to get Allura or the commander, and every day he had turned him down. Patience was the key, and his hot-blooded son was not known for his patience. He watched as Lotor approached the steps leading to the throne.

"Father, every day you turn me down, and every day I become more of a laughingstock to other worlds. Everyone knows that Allura was destined to be my bride. That, that commoner has dared to defile her!" Lotor raised his voice and his fist toward his father during his rant.

"You have lost your mind, my son, if you think the Voltron commander touched her without her permission. The princess has always been able to keep you at arm's length-"

"Father, she was meant to be mine! I just needed more time. Now she is only good enough to be one of my concubines."

Zarkon waved to the guards at the chamber doors. "Guards, clear the room and ask Haggar to come in and join my irritated son and myself!" He started down the steps from his throne as the guards pushed serving girls from the room.

Lotor watched his father with interest. This was a new development. His father usually listened to him, commented that he was ranting, and sent him from the room. Now Lotor wondered if his father had a plan to help him.

As Zarkon reached the floor, he looked over to the door and saw Haggar enter without her cat. He wondered where the feline was and what it was up to. With Haggar, you never knew.

Haggar called out from the doorway, "You summoned me, my King?"

"Yes, Haggar. I would like to discuss a plan with you and my heartbroken son!" He heard Lotor snort, but he didn't say anything. When Haggar joined them, he began. "While I don't care about my son's love life, I care about conquering planets. Having either the queen," and he said Queen with distaste, "or the commander out of commission gives us an opportunity to take the planet that has been a thorn in my side. If either of them is in my son's custody, they won't be able to form Voltron."

"Do you already have a plan, Father?" Lotor had a gleam in his eye. His father had managed to conquer numerous worlds on his own; perhaps he had an idea.

"I'm sending you far away to conquer some new worlds for me." Zarkon watched as Lotor's face contorted in anger and held up his hand. "Let me explain before you blow your top." Lotor was clenching his fists but he remained quiet, _a feat in itself_, Zarkon thought.

"Please continue, Sire," Haggar said.

"We will publicize Lotor's on-going campaign for about two months. While he's gone, we'll contact our spies on Arus and determine if there is any regularity to the commander or the queen leaving the castle with minimal escort. Once we have the needed information, Lotor will make a return trip to Arus with a handful of soldiers and a small ship with advanced shielding. I think you can see where the plan goes from there."

"Hmmm." Lotor was stroking his chin and gazing at his father with a touch of respect. "I think that may work, Father. While I am not interested in going away for months and letting people think that I am defeated, it will make my capture of the commander all the more impressive and surprising. I like it."

Haggar spoke up, "Prince Lotor, King Zarkon did not say that you would get the commander. You may capture the queen instead."

"Oh, it will be the commander. His insufferable sense of duty and honor will actually work in our favor this time. He will ensure that the queen is not taken. Even if I capture her, he will give himself up to save her," sneered Lotor.

Zarkon sounded slightly irritated at his son as he said, "Don't let your obsession cause you to lose both of them."

"Don't worry father, I will play my part appropriately until I have him. I will spend all of my days on campaigns taking my anger out on these new worlds and perfecting my plan of torture for the commander." He paused for a moment here. "I think I shall find it relaxing."

Haggar concluded the meeting by saying, "It shall be a secret between the three of us until the prince returns." She turned to Lotor and said, "I am always willing to be of assistance. If you need any help for the torture, all you need to do is ask." A high-pitched cackle sounded through the room.

There was a gleam in Lotor's eye as he said, "I might just do that, Old Witch." Lotor turned to his father, "If you don't mind, I'll go pack my things for the military campaign. I shall appear suitably angry at you for sending me away." With that he turned on his heel as both Haggar and Zarkon laughed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters.

**Thanks to my Beta Reader! – Dawn **

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this, ever occurred in the series). The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Though it's not in this chapter, be warned that torture is a part of this arc.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

Thanks for the reviews and encouragement!

And this is the calm before the storm... : -) Cubbie - this is the last nightime chpater for awhile. ; - D

* * *

**Chapter Five: Peace at a Picnic**

The word had come to Arus a month ago that Lotor had been sent on a distant military campaign. It seemed that Zarkon was tired of his son's sulking and had sent him out on a mission. There was no word on when, or if, he would return. Everyone on Aruswas greatly relieved at the news, although his departure didn't mean there wouldn't be any attacks. However, there had been no incursions since the attack on the day that Allura and Keith had married in front of the Council. Keith was cautiously pleased with the news, but concerned at the same time. He didn't buy the whole show; something was off. If something was off, then everyone needed to be at the top of their game. It was too early in their marriage to think that Lotor had just resigned himself to losing. Losing graciously had never been Lotor's style, and Keith didn't think he decided to be a good sport now.

Today however, everyone was trying to have a normal day and pretend that they weren't at war. The team was having a picnic and swim with the children of the castle staff and guards at Castle Lake. Keith thought that would be a good test run for an event. It would be close to the castle and easy to defend.

Allura's head peeked into Keith's office. She sighed as she said, "This is supposed to be FUN! Don't make it into work!" She noted that he had on his red flight suit. Really, she would have to upgrade that to something else now that they were married. To be sure, the Alliance wouldn't mind the commander being a little more stylish – after all, he was helping her rule the planet and they had an image to maintain. Her brow furrowed as she thought about her long pink ball gown. She could hardly criticize Keith when she wore that dress so often. Well, they would both have to upgrade.

Keith looked up from his computer to see her smiling. Leaning back in his seat, he crossed his arms and said, "You're smiling. You must be plotting something." He stared at her as if he could read her thoughts.

Continuing to smile, she walked into the office. She had on capri pants that matched her eyes and a pale yellow sweater that was formfitting. He found his eyes locked in on a specific part of her anatomy until she cleared her throat. Moving his eyes slowly up to meet hers, he smiled at her and said, "Sorry, I couldn't resist the charms of my wife."

Allura couldn't be angry at him when he said such things, but she wasn't giving up on getting him out of the office. Reaching her hand across the desk, she watched him eye it skeptically before taking it. "Come on Keith, I have the perfect outfit picked out for you

Moaning as he stood, he came around to the front of the desk. "Please tell me we're NOT wearing matching outfits!" Her charming laughter made him smile all the more as they headed out the door. For her, he would even wear matching outfits.

The queen and her prince arrived at the picnic on-time an hour later. While their clothing complimented each other, it wasn't matching and Keith was glad of that. Allura had bought him some new black jeans that were a little tighter than what he normally wore. She also had him wear a lightweight sweater that was just a few shades darker than her capris.

Keith felt a hand on his back as Lance walked up behind him. Circling him, Lance eyed his new clothing. "Let me guess, Allura picked out your clothes."

Looking around at the children and guests, Keith smiled at Lance. "Well, yeah, she kinda did. What do you think?" He was truly curious as to what his friend thought.

Lance gave him another once over and laughed.

"What?" Looking down at his attire, he thought that Allura had done a pretty good job and was pleased with his overall look.

"I'm just surprised that Allura dressed you like that. It's okay for a family event like this, but I bet she won't have you wear that if there are a lot of single women around." He saw Keith's frown and once again knew he would have to spell it out for his friend. "Those clothes show off your body in a sophisticated style. However, they still show off your body and the way those pants fit your a-"

"What's this? Is Lance complimenting your clothing?" Allura walked up to them. The smile she gave Lance was rather tight and promised a later conversation.

"Indeed, Your Highness, I was just trying to let Keith know how well they show off his assets." Lance started chuckling to himself as Keith was looking at his attire more critically. "I'm heading over to get a hot dog with chili before Hunk eats them all." And with a wave of his hand, he was gone.

"Um, Allura. From that very odd conversation with Lance, I take it that I look pretty hot in these clothes." Noticing that his wife was blushing, Keith reached out and pulled her into an embrace. He lowered his voice as he asked, "Was he correct, would you dress me differently around single ladies?"

Allura looked at Keith and thought about how handsome and sexy he was. "No, he was wrong. I would dress you like this around single women, but only if I would be at your side." She smiled at him and touched his cheek. "I know you would never be unfaithful. I would just want to be there to make sure that all the women know that you are taken."

Leaning over, he kissed the tip of her nose. "Taken indeed, and very happy to be taken by you. Now, we better head over to get something to eat. I see that Hunk is heading in that direction."

Allura giggled as he led her by the hand to the picnic tables.

That night in his office, still wearing his 'picnic clothes,' Keith thought over the events of the day. Everything was perfect. Everyone had a great time. The weather was wonderful. The food was tasty and plentiful, despite Hunk's numerous helpings. And in spite of all this, Keith still felt apprehensive. He shook his head. They couldn't live their life in a bottle just because Lotor was out there on the loose. Allura had already planned another event in two weeks. This one would be at a nearby village and he was already working on the security plan. Remaining diligent about these planned outside activities was the only way to keep them safe. He looked blankly at his computer screen. These kind of activities would be the norm for him now as Allura's husband. He focused on the screen and reached to shut the computer off. To guard Allura's safety and happiness, he would have to walk the fine line between being the prince that wants to make her happy and the commander who would make her unhappy to keep her safe. Smiling broadly, he shut off the office lights. Right now he was on his way to their suite where he would do his best to make his bride happy.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters.

**Beta Reader Extraordinary – Dawn **

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Though it's not in this chapter, be warned that torture is a part of this arc.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

I acknowledge reviews with individual PMs, but thought I'd do a few public ones here in the notes for this chapter..

Smithy - You're right, Lotor isn't going to give up easy. And you'll find out if love conquets all... :-D

CubbieBlueMako - Come now Cubbie, you know that 80s Keith needed some fashion help considering those white boots. Always hated those white boots. Now if he had been wearing some type of riding outfit with black boots. Now that would be perfectly fine. ;-D

Limetwist - She enjoys looking his assets. As for fluffy. I'm afraid that's about done for now.

**Based on the comments of my wonderful editor, I will endeavor to put A/N at the beginning of all future chapters indicating the level of violence. There will be chapters that reference no violence and I don't want anyone to stop reading the story because of the torture involved in future chapters. So keep reading and just check the A/N to see what may be going on in the chapter.

Ahhhh, the sinister Prince Lotor finally makes his appearance on Arus… but no torture involved.

* * *

**Chapter Six: Shattered Peace**

Keith was slowly walking the practically empty castle corridor towards Allura's private garden_. Not much activity in this part of the castle today_, he noted. If he remembered correctly, Nanny was holding a staff meeting to go over some new protocol she wanted to start. Chuckling to himself, he was glad that the protocol didn't involve anything dealing with the castle security or he'd have to attend. Instead, he was going to relieve Hunk from his security duty and spend some time with his queen in her garden. Keith thought about the last two months since they had the picnic at the castle. They had attended events and functions almost weekly since then, even one on the other side of the planet. Everything was going smoothly. Security was top-notch and everyone understood the need for tight security. None of the citizens ever complained about any of the extra security measures. Of course, the team had things streamlined now and security measures did not slow things down very much. Yes, things were going well.

Then he heard the castle alarm sound. Allura. He wasn't going to Castle Control, he'd find Allura and they would go together. Stopping by an arms locker, he keyed in his code. His com unit sounded. "Kogane here."

"Keith," Coran's voice held a strain to it. "The alarm was sounded from the queen's private garden. I can't reach the queen or Hunk."

"Understood. I am on my way there now. Please send an armed unit and a medical team there immediately." Keith took a moment to select two small firearms, and then he was off towards the garden.

As he ran into the garden, he scanned quickly and saw no movement. They had to still be out here as their route to control would have taken them past him. Keith keyed his com unit. "Coran, I'm in Allura's garden, but I don't see her or Hunk. Are they still outside? Do you have any sensor readings?"

Coran's voice came through the com loudly, and Keith changed the setting to a lower volume. "There seems to be some kind of jamming frequency outside the garden wall. I can't get sensors to work properly outside the garden area. Commander, Pidge has just entered the chute for Green Lion. Lance checked in to say he's on the way to the garden, but it will be several minutes before he arrives. The guards and medical staff should be there shortly."

"Acknowledged, Coran. I'll keep my com open for now." Keith went quickly around the perimeter of the garden finding nothing unusual or reason for concern until he reached the heavily fortified door that allowed access to the castle grounds. It was wide open. From where he stood, he could see Hunk's arm on the ground, and he heard a low moan. "Coran, the garden itself is empty, but the security door to the grounds is open and Hunk is lying on the ground. I can hear him moaning, so he's alive. I don't know how injured he is."

"I'll notify the med team." Coran had lowered his voice. "Be very careful, Commander."

Keith didn't acknowledge the warning. He would do what he had to do. If being reckless was needed, well, he would be reckless. Glancing carefully around the side of the wall into the grounds beyond, he was shocked by what he saw. Standing about fifty yards from the castle was Lotor. He was standing with his back to a small copse of trees with Allura in front of him and a dagger to her throat. His heart dropped. They had been prepping for kidnapping scenarios and now it looked like they would put their practice into action. Radioing the information to Coran, he took a deep breath as Lotor spoke.

_Just 30 minutes before…_

Allura smiled at Hunk as he keyed in his access code to the door leading to the castle grounds. The wildflowers were just beautiful this time of year, and she had gone outside to gather some every day for the last week. She thought she might have another week left before the lovely blooms faded away. Waiting patiently while Hunk stepped outside and did a visual scan, she thought about the lovely blossoms. Hunk had already contacted Coran and run a sensor sweep with no unusual readings showing up.

"Okay Princess, come on out," Hunk called out to her. While the rest of the Force either called her Queen or Your Highness, Hunk still called her Princess. She was trying to get them all to call her Allura, but with Nanny's scolding about proper etiquette, they were still using her royal designation. Keith on the hand, refused to let them call him anything but Keith, Captain, or Commander.

Allura stepped through the wall into the open air and felt the breeze on her face. She had worked hard to convince Keith to let her do this. Seeing the joy that it brought her on the first day when he and Lance had both acted as guards, he had agreed to let her go out on the grounds daily until the blooms faded. She smiled as she ran through the wildflowers to a particularly thick clump of miniature lavender lilies. She dropped down in them with her basket and lay back seeing the swaying stems, leaves and flowers around her waving in the breeze. It was a beautiful and perfect day. "You should really try this Hunk! It's a beautiful way to see the flowers!"

Walking until he was about ten yards from her, he scanned the area with his eyes, hand on his weapon. "I don't think the commander would appreciate me doing that Princess. We can't let our guard down. We need to stay vigilant." Then his gaze dropped to view Allura lying amidst the lavender flowers with her golden hair around her in a cloud. The yellow of her dress and shoes made her look like an artist's dream among the lilies. He smiled at her and said, "I'd also crush a lot more flowers than you Princess and when I got up, the flowers would be dead."

Propping herself up on her elbow, she smiled at him. "I guess you're right Hunk."

They stayed in the sun enjoying the flowers for the allotted time and when a timer went off on Hunk's com unit, Allura knew that they would have to go inside.

Turning off the timer, he said, "Okay Princess, you know what that means." He held his arm out to her and they walked toward the castle arm in arm. They were about twenty yards from the door when Hunk's com made a strange sound.

Allura turned to look at him and had just opened her mouth to inquire what the sound was when Hunk roughly shoved her to the ground. Her basket fell from her arms, spilling flowers of all colors around on the ground. Hearing a blaster bolt in the air around them, she saw Hunk kneeling beside her taking aim at their attackers.

Hunk fired a couple of rounds then said, "It's Lotor, and the sound the com unit made means they're jamming us. Coran doesn't know this is happening. We have to get to the door to trigger the hard-wired alarm. We have to keep low and I'll shield you the best I can. If I get hit, you have to keep going. You HAVE to trigger the alarm."

Staring at him, she heard the urgency in his voice and knew he was right, but it would be hard to leave him if he fell.

"Allura, we don't have time for this." He used her name to help get her attention. It worked.

"I understand Hunk. I can do it."

Giving her a quick nod, he said, "Get ready. I'm going to fire three shots then we're going to go." He quickly popped off three shots. They could hear Lotor yelling obscenities at his robot soldiers as he said, "Time to go."

Hunk grabbed Allura's arm and off they went in a crouch with Allura directly in front of him. He stopped for a moment and turned to fire a few more shots. "Keep going Princess, I'm going to fire just a few more shots!"

Allura didn't hesitate. He was risking his life for her, and she needed to get to that alarm. She heard him coming behind her. Just five yards from the door, she heard him cry out and hit the ground. She didn't even stop to look. She was too close. Reaching the door, she ran inside and slapped the emergency alarm. Alarms sounded and lights started flashing immediately. She was inside and safe, but what about Hunk. She dared to peak around the entrance.

What she saw was awful. Hunk was crawling on his stomach and his gun was nowhere in sight, but Lotor was. He was striding towards the injured man with the air of someone who deserved to be here. He looked in control and Allura's heart fell as she realized he was. Hunk had made it to within fifteen yards of the castle. A loud gasp came from her mouth as she heard a gun fire. Covering her mouth, she asked herself, _"What has he done? What have I done?"_ She started sobbing as she heard her name called.

"Allura. It's time to come out. I only shot your… friend… with a stun gun. He will live if you come out. I must say, he was a rather large and easy target." Lotor waited a moment. "I'm not playing games, Allura, this shot goes in his head."

Stepping out into the open with her hands at her side, she couldn't see more soldiers, but she knew they were there somewhere. Maybe they had some shielding spell from Haggar. Looking to Hunk, she could see his chest rise and fall, but there was a blood stain spreading on the side of his abdomen. He was alive. She made a small sound of relief that was quickly stifled as Lotor spoke.

"Come here. Now. I have no more patience with you."

As Allura moved to stand in front of him, she wished that her face were not tear-stained. However, she would not go meekly. She tried to look him in the eye, but she was denied this as he kept his yellow feline-gaze on the doorway.

Taking her roughly by the arm, Lotor pulled her along as he walked backwards, his gaze never faltering from the entrance. When they reached the tree line, he surprised her by stopping. It had felt like an eternity since Hunk had pushed her to the ground, but she was certain it had been 15 minutes or less. It was enough time that someone would be coming to find her, and she knew who that would be. She felt sick as she realized why Lotor was waiting.

Lotor heard her start to retch and quickly spun her around so that she was facing away from him as vomit came out of her mouth. His arm was like a vise around her, holding her flush against his body. From the corner of her eye she saw him holster his gun and reach for a dagger on his thigh. She brought her foot down on his instep and brought her fist up in a backhand motion to connect with his nose. Feeling him release her, she ran but she didn't get far. She cried out as a Doom soldier materialized in front of her and escorted her back to Lotor.

Lotor looked at the new queen with irritation and interest as he momentarily touched his bruised nose. She was still beautiful and full of spirit. It was such a shame that she had allowed herself to be tarnished by… him. He pulled her back to him again, this time, making sure that he had her arms and hands controlled. Lotor touched the cold steel of the blade to her neck. She had humiliated him, and she needed to be punished. Moving the blade smoothly along her neck, he leaned to whisper in her ear, "Try anything like that again, and I might just kill him here in front of you." He smiled as he heard a sob catch in her throat. It only disgusted him more that she cared for him. Catching movement inside the garden, he softly said, "Ahhh. Now the game really begins."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters.

**2, 4, 6, 8 Who do I appreciate?! – Dawn! Dawn! Dawn!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Though it's not in this chapter, be warned that torture is a part of this arc.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

**Based on the comments of my wonderful editor, I will endeavor to put A/N at the beginning of all future chapters indicating the level of violence. There will be chapters that reference no violence and I don't want anyone to stop reading the story because of the torture involved in future chapters. So keep reading and just check the A/N to see what may be going on in the chapter.

Ahhhh, the sinister Prince Lotor is still here… but no torture.

*Decided to go ahead and post this one sooner than planned. Chapters 6 & 7 just go together closely so I decided to publish them closely.

* * *

**Chapter Seven: The Expected Happens**

Keith drew a deep breath as he heard Lotor begin to speak.

"Commander, why don't you come out here so we can have a civilized discussion?"

"If I come out, you'll just shoot me. There won't be any discussion." Back placed to the castle wall, Keith was trying to buy some time for reinforcements to come. He would really like to have Lance here. While he waited and listened, he reached a hand to his implanted tracking beacon and pressed it the way he had been taught. He felt one slight vibration indicating that he had activated it. Leaning his head back against the wall, he listened as Lotor spoke again.

"I know my promises don't mean much to you, but I promise you that I won't shoot you… right now. Plus… I have a knife to the queen's throat. While I won't kill her, I don't think you'll want me to mar her beauty."

Keith let out a pent-up sigh of relief as Lance ran up and positioned himself on the other side of the doorway. Lance had his pistol raised and gave a curt nod to Keith. The castle guards and med team arrived soon after and Lance gave them orders.

"Okay, I'll come out, but I'm bringing Lance with me and we're going to bring Hunk back into the castle." Keith had to make sure that Hunk was inside before anything else happened. He wouldn't put it past Lotor to shoot him out of vengeful spite before leaving.

Smirking in satisfaction, Lotor said, "You're not in the position to make demands Commander, but in a show of good faith, I'll agree."

As Keith cautiously stepped outside, his first thought was, "What a beautiful day." It was surreal that this could be happening on a day filled with sunshine, a light breeze, and beautiful, swaying flowers. His next thought was how pale and still Hunk looked, lying on the ground surrounded by the waving and vibrantly alive flowers. _Time to get back to reality_, he thought. Keith and Lance kept their guns out until they had to lift up Hunk. Then they had to take the chance and tuck the weapons into their waistbands. However, they kept their eyes on Lotor the whole time as they carried their friend from outside the castle walls into the safety of the garden. The med team was waiting right inside, and they whisked Hunk away on a pristine gurney. Keith watched as they slipped an oxygen mask over his face and started taking vitals. Lotor's voice called Keith back to the reality that awaited him outside the protective castle wall.

"I'm waiting, Commander, and I'm afraid that after months of waiting, I don't have a lot of patience left."

Checking to make sure his blaster was set to kill, he walked towards the door with the resignation of what he would have to do.

Grabbing him by his upper arm, Lance brought him to a sudden stop. "I'm going out there with you." Lance wasn't asking. He was telling his friend that he wouldn't face this alone.

Keith looked at the determination in the face of his friend and thought he saw resignation there as well. They both knew what, or rather who, Lotor wanted. "You can come. But your priority will be Allura, not me." He moved forward after he got a nod of agreement from Lance.

Both men went out with their blasters drawn and raised. Keith motioned for Lance to stop about fifteen yards from the castle while he continued on, finally stopping about twenty yards in front of Lotor and Allura. Looking closely at how Lotor was holding Allura and the placement of the dagger, he knew his options were limited. Tactical options flew through his mind as he evaluated each one in less than a second. He could shoot Lotor in the head with no problem. The problem was would Lotor slit her throat before the shot severed communication between his brain and his hand?

Lotor watched the commander closely. He could almost see him going through all the possible scenarios. "Have you worked it all out, Commander? Have you realized that I have won? I am not here with the one guard you see; there are others here cloaked with Haggar's magic." Lotor smirked at him, confident in his position of dominance.

Keith figured there were more soldiers in the area. Well, Haggar's magic may have cloaked their physical form, but the robot soldiers didn't do well with stealth. Keeping his eyes on Lotor, he quickly moved his gun to the right and fired. A Drule soldier 'decloaked' and fell to the ground dead. With an intensely low voice, Keith responded, "Just because I can't see them, doesn't mean I don't know where they are." He watched with satisfaction as Lotor's eyes widened and then returned to the squint of anger that he was familiar with.

"No matter, Commander, I still hold the queen and the upper hand." Ready to end the game, Lotor spoke quickly. "Here are my terms. I will trade the queen for you, Commander. You come willingly with me, she will go free."

Keith nodded, it was just as he had suspected. He had been trying to work everything out, and he saw no option that did not end with Allura or himself being taken this day. "I will agree, but Allura must be freed before I will come with you."

"Keith, no." Allura's soft voice broke into the conversation.

Sparing a quick look into the eyes of his wife, he saw despair there and that was something he couldn't afford right now.

Laughing, Lotor leaned forward so that he was talking directly into Allura's ear. His lips grazed her ear as he spoke, "The commander knows that this is the only way to save you… for the moment. Don't worry, Allura, I will be back for you." Lotor could feel her body tense in anger. She was such a spitfire, and he would enjoy taming her spirit soon. Directing his attention back to the commander, he said, "If you give me your word that neither you nor your men will attack, I will let her go."

"I will inform them, and I will wait for her to enter the castle grounds before coming to you."

"Come without your weapons, Commander."

Keith backed up for about ten yards and then turned around to walk the rest of the way. Lance would have him covered. In addition, Lotor was looking forward to torturing him, he wouldn't kill him now. That would be too easy. When Keith reached Lance, he turned back to face Lotor and Allura as he spoke to Lance in a loud commanding voice. "No one is to fire when Lotor releases Allura. No one will attack until after I am with him." Keith tried his com unit and heard only static. "You'll have to go back inside and inform them. I'll wait out here." Lance turned to go, but Keith reached out a hand and stayed him. "Wait. He angled his body so that Lotor couldn't see him remove his wedding band. He held it out to Lance.

Lance took it and put in safely in his breast pocket. "Keith, don't give up hope and don't give in to him." Looking at his friend, he didn't see worry, sadness, or fear in his face. Keith was already working to build a façade of control, determination, and calm to sustain him through whatever Lotor had planned. Seeing Keith nod, he headed at a jog to the castle to inform everyone. He would then have the hard task of helping Allura cope until they got Keith back.

Keith watched Lance disappear like a wraith through the garden door. Moments later, Lance reappeared and gave the okay sign. Turning to Lotor, Keith signaled for him to release Allura.

When released, Allura spun and slapped Lotor. Spitfire indeed as his hand went to his stinging jaw. Lotor was sure there was a handprint. He could tell she wanted to speak, but her fear for the commander kept her tongue still. The prince just smiled wickedly at her as she turned and walked away.

Allura was furious and sick at the same time. She had to get her emotions under control to be of use to Keith. They would race to Castle Control and the Lions as soon as she entered the garden courtyard. Lance would be worried about her and her state of mind. She needed him to see her in control. SHE needed HIM to be focused on getting Keith back and not on calming her. Allura's eyes were blurry with unshed tears, but Keith was coming more into focus. She needed him to see that she was in control too. Wanting to kiss him, she didn't as she was worried that it would make things worse for him with Lotor. But the thought was in her mind that it might be the last kiss she would ever get from her beloved knight. Closing her eyes briefly, she pushed that thought to the side as she closed the remaining feet between them. Walking up to Keith's left side, she took his hand. She saw that he was working to rein in his feelings and build the wall of control he would need to sustain his sanity with Lotor. She didn't want to do anything to slow his process down. Waiting until he looked at her, she firmly, but simply said, "Remember my wedding vow. There is nothing I will not do and nowhere that I will not go for you. I WILL get you back." She held his hand a moment longer and felt a slight pressure from his hand. It was the only acknowledgement that she would get and she understood the need for brevity at this moment. Letting go, she walked toward the door and Lance who waited for her.

Keith heard the door close, and he glanced over his shoulder to make sure there was no one outside. Putting the safety on his weapon, he laid it down in the billowing grass and began his walk to Lotor. The words of Lance and Allura lingered in his mind. Hope could be a dangerous thing if it came from false promises and desires. 'I WILL get you back.' That wasn't a false promise. He decided to hold tightly to the hope and promise that his wife gave him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters.

**Beta Reader? Who could it possibly be? Hmmmmm – Dawn!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Though it's not in this chapter, be warned that torture is a part of this arc.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

**Based on the comments of my wonderful editor, I will endeavor to put A/N at the beginning of all future chapters indicating the level of violence. There will be chapters that reference no violence and I don't want anyone to stop reading the story because of the torture involved in future chapters. So keep reading and just check the A/N to see what may be going on in the chapter.

Safe to read.

* This one is kinda short. Please be sure to drop me a review as to how you like or dislike the story.

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Race Against Time**

When Allura entered the door she spoke with authority, "Close the door quickly!" Grabbing Lance's hand, she started running, pulling him with her. She could tell that she caught him off-guard, but his stride quickly fell into step with hers. "Call Coran and tell him we're on the way and to give Pidge the go-ahead."

Lance couldn't help but smile. Perhaps they had underestimated the queen's determination and will. Then his smile faltered a little. Or perhaps they had underestimated her love and the desperation she would feel in a situation such as this. Whichever it was, she was in control for now and he would take it. "Coran, the queen and I are on the way. Have the dais raised. Tell Pidge to go ahead with the plan. Also, do you have an update on Hunk?"

"Castle Control will be ready for your arrival." There was a pause and then, "I've just contacted Pidge, and he is putting the plan into effect. Dr. Gorma called earlier to say that Hunk is in surgery. The shot went all the way through, but missed his vital organs. They are working on controlling the bleeding and fixing damage where they can. He is expected to survive. " There was another pause, and then Coran's voice was back, "We'll be waiting for you."

Coran heard their approach before he saw them. Their racing footsteps echoed down the quiet corridor. When they entered Control, their heavy breathing was very noticeable. Coran saw they were holding hands all the way to the dais They only broke apart to enter their separate chutes. It was true that Allura was going to need Lance to make it through, but if they were unable to retrieve the commander… well, the lieutenant was going to need someone too. Coran spun back to the controls that demanded his attention. It was good to be objective and sensible, but sometimes it was just downright depressing.

Lance fit his key into Red and said, "Come on baby, we've got to hurry." As soon as his console became active he took off and opened communications with Control, Green, and Blue. "Pidge, report."

"Lotor and Keith are waiting on the other side of the trees by the castle near the open field. Keith's hands appeared to be cuffed behind his back, and Lotor has him kneeling on the ground with a pistol pointed at the back of his head. I think he's called for his ship and they're waiting on it."

Allura's voice came on the com, "Then we have a chance to keep them from leaving. Maybe we can down his ship before they board it. Does anyone have a ship on sensors or visuals?"

"I have a reading with an approach from the southern side of the castle," Coran interjected.

"I have him right in front of me and I'm closing fast!" Lance called. "Firing stingray missiles." Lance watched in dismay as the ship easily moved to the side and launched countermeasures, exploding the missiles with no damage. "Wow, Doom has upgraded some of their technology. This ship is small, maneuverable, and seems to be equipped with the latest in countermeasures and stealth."

"I'll try a head-on attack with Blue Lion." Allura moved the Lion so that so that she was on a collision course with the fighter.

"Allura, DO NOT RAM THE SHIP!" Lance yelled into his com. Knowing Allura was desperate, he just hoped she would listen. He breathed a sigh of relief as she fired ion darts and dived down.

One dart grazed the wing on the fighter but caused minimal damage. The fighter had just moved between the darts avoiding all but the one. The pilot of the ship was very talented.

Gazing upward, Keith watched the battle being fought in the sky above him. The colors of the Lions blurred through the skies with the weapon explosions looking like fireworks. If they could down the fighter before he boarded… but the ship was almost here and the team soon would be unable to fire due to proximity to the landing site. He heard Lotor laugh behind him.

"Your friends can try all they like, they won't catch that ship. It's the latest in technology."

With words laden with sarcasm, Keith said, "I'm sure that Drule scientists developed it and that it wasn't plundered from some other world." Hearing a growl from behind him, he continued with his eyes following Blue Lion. "Just remember Lotor, you defeated the world this technology came from. We'll defeat you, too."

Keith was rewarded with a heavy boot to his back that sent him sprawling on the ground. He felt Lotor grab his cuffed hands and was pulled back into his kneeling position. The cold muzzle of the pistol was on his neck as he spit out grass and dirt.

"I think that's enough, Commander. Here comes our ride now."

Looking up, Keith could see the Lions go into a holding pattern as the sleek fighter dropped vertically to the ground about thirty yards in front of them. It really was a thing of beauty. Painted a matte black, it had reflective tinting on the windows and the design was aerodynamic and elegant at the same time. It looked like it could hold about ten soldiers plus pilot and co-pilot. It was a ship built for missions like this. He had doubts that the Lions would be able to safely down the ship once he boarded and he drew a deep resigned breath, preparing himself to go to Doom.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters.

**Beta Reader Extraordinary – Dawn **

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Though it's not in this chapter, be warned that torture is a part of this arc.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

**Based on the comments of my wonderful editor, I will endeavor to put A/N at the beginning of the chapters indicating the level of violence. There will be chapters that reference no violence and I don't want anyone to stop reading the story because of the torture involved in future chapters. So keep reading and just check the A/N to see what may be going on in the chapter.

Not a happy chapter, but no torture.

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Aftermath**

Lance threw his helmet down on the floor in Castle Control in frustration and anger. He watched as the helmet took several bounces before coming to a stop against the wall. Pidge, Lance, Allura, and Coran stood together in Castle Control.

Pidge voiced what they were feeling and thinking. "Once they exited the atmosphere, all we could do was follow them. Any shots could have vented the fighter's oxygen and who knows if they would have helped Keith. We couldn't take the chance guys. There wasn't anything more we could have done."

Running a hand through his light brown hair ruffling it, Lance responded, "I know, Pidge. It's just frustrating. We knew it would be hard to keep Lotor from escaping with a captive. I just feel like with missed our chance when we were unable to take that fighter down. Does anyone know when they landed and how they avoided our sensors?"

"I'm running a computer diagnostic on anomalies from the last few days to see what shows up. The shielding and technology on that craft were unlike anything we've seen before. I'm sure that the computer just didn't know what it was seeing or ruled it out to be something harmless." Coran moved over to look at the computer. "The diagnostic is still running."

"Well, we need to get that program fixed fast. We don't need him coming back and taking the queen before we even have a chance to get Keith back." Lance felt unprepared, even though they had spent weeks prepping for a situation similar to this. The reality of it was in his face now. "Let's go check on Hunk. We can discuss this more in the waiting room. Coran, let me know what the diagnostic turns up."

The three remaining members of the Voltron Force made their way slowly to the med facility and the waiting room. It was the same waiting room where they had waited for word on Keith's injuries just a few weeks before his marriage.

Allura looked around the waiting room. She had been so disheartened by the décor of the waiting room on her last visit that she had vowed to make some changes and so she had. Warm, yellow ochre was on three of the walls and one wall was a soft white. Pictures and paintings of warm sunny days adorned the walls. The furniture had been recovered in pleasing cheerful patterns that went with the yellow ochre, and there was lamp lighting instead of the harsh overhead lights. Several data pads were available for use that connected with the castle's system. Overall, it was now a very pleasant room. But even with those changes, Allura had to admit that the feelings of dread and unease were still hovering in every shadow and corner of the room. They whispered of things she did not want to hear and brought images of things she did not want to see…. Lance and Pidge both sat down and put their heads in their hands as they tried to sort out the next move. Freezing in place, Allura stared at one of the pictures on the back wall. It was one amongst a large group of pictures. Slowly, she walked toward it and stopped within arm's reach.

Glancing up, Pidge saw Allura standing in front of the picture. "Lance," he said softly.

Lance looked up at Pidge and thought he detected a note of worry in Pidge's voice. Hunk was his best friend and like an older brother. He was as close to Hunk as Lance was to Keith. Needing to be there for Pidge, he assured him, "I'm sure Dr. Gorma will be in here soon. Our last report says that he is stable."

Not saying anything, Pidge just pointed to the queen.

Lance looked over to Allura to see her visibly shaking. Moving so that he was standing behind her, he looked at the picture on the wall. It must have been taken last year at this same time. It was of the wildflowers outside the garden. It was a beautiful picture of the lavender flowers with the castle in the background. It was a picture meant to inspire and give hope to waiting loved ones, but now all it brought to mind was violent and intense memories. Not asking for her permission or saying anything, Lance just turned her around so that she was in his arms with her head on his shoulder. Within his embrace, the queen started sobbing.

Without being asked, Pidge removed the picture from the wall and took it from the room. He thought to himself_, if we get the commander back, we can hang it again_. He didn't voice the other option as he opened a janitor's closet and leaned the picture against the back wall. The bright and cheery picture looked very out of place amongst the cleaning implements. However, none of them wanted to see the reminder right now.

As Pidge reentered the waiting room, he found that Dr. Gorma had arrived during his brief exit.

"We were waiting for you, Pidge," Lance said while still holding Allura against him. "Dr. Gorma says he has some good news for us."

"We could really use some good news, Doc. Is Hunk going to be okay?"

Dr. Gorma nodded his head. At least he had good news to share with the distraught team. "The blaster bolt went through his abdomen and nicked his intestines. It wasn't a clean wound, but we were able to get him to surgery quickly. We were able to address the injuries quickly lessening blood loss and put the intestines back together. My report will be more extensive on his injuries. It may not sound like good news, but that type of wound could have been fatal in other situations. As for his status, he won't be able to actively participate in drills or combat for about a month. His body has suffered a lot of trauma today – the initial blaster bolt, the stun, and now surgery. He will need to stay in the med facility for a week at least to make sure that his body recovers from this series of events." Dr. Gorma looked at the serious faces in front of him. "I'm sorry, but Hunk won't be available to help in the rescue of the commander."

Lance nodded. He had expected as much. "When do you think he will awaken, Doc?"

"I'm planning on keeping him sedated until tomorrow, and we'll let him come out of it on his own."

Pulling away from Lance, Allura walked over to Dr. Gorma. "If we are still on Arus when he awakens, please let me know." Looking down at her hands, she twisted her wedding band and said, "I'm afraid that Hunk will be very upset when he learns about… the commander. I'm afraid that he will feel a sense of responsibility for what has happened. You will need to call me. I'm the only one that will have a chance to relieve him of those thoughts." After Dr. Gorma nodded, she thanked him for his service and then she turned back to the team.

Lance knew that she wanted to start on the plan specifics. "Let's grab a shower and then meet in the conference room in 30 minutes." Allura, Pidge, and Lance filed out of the room and then Allura stopped.

"What's wrong, Allura?" Pidge asked.

"I'm going to shower in the gym. I can't go back to my room just yet. Pidge, will you contact Nanny and ask her to bring a suitable change of clothes to the gym for me?" She saw him nod, and then made her way past them toward the gym. If only the shower could wash away her fears.

Nanny was fidgeting and waiting outside the shower room with the change of clothing as Allura came out in a towel.

"Nanny, you can just leave the clothes, I don't need any assistance."

"I know you don't, Your Highness. I just wanted to see how you are doing, to see if there is anything I can do for you?" In the short duration of their marriage, Nanny had quickly realized how much the hooligan captain meant to her beloved princess. She knew it would break Allura's spirit if something happened to Keith.

Touched at the look of concern in Nanny's face, she thought for a moment. "Yes Nanny, there is something you can do for me."

"Just name it, my Queen."

"I can't go back to my room… not until Keith is back. Can you ready my old rooms and bring down the clothing I will need for the next week?"

"Absolutely, Your Highness. I will have it ready by the evening." She bowed and turned to leave as Allura started picking up the clothing. Stopping at the doorway, Nanny turned back. "You must know that I would never wish anything like this on the Prince…." Her eyes welled with tears, and she couldn't finish.

Allura knew that Nanny was struck by guilt over how she had treated Keith over the last couple of years. Nanny had changed so much in her attitude over the last few months; the woman who had berated and antagonized the team no longer existed, except in a playful manner. Looking her in the eyes, Allura said, "Keith knows how you truly feel about him, and if you are uncertain, you can remind him yourself when we bring him home."

Nanny smiled and nodded. "Indeed I will. I will fix his favorite meals for a month when he returns." And then more softly, she said, "Thank you, my Queen."

After giving a nod and a smile, she began to get dressed. She had ten minutes to dress and arrive at the conference room and she planned to be early.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters.

**Beta Reader :-) – Dawn **

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Though it's not in this chapter, be warned that torture is a part of this arc.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

**Based on the comments of my wonderful editor, I will endeavor to put A/N at the beginning of the chapters indicating the level of violence. There will be chapters that reference no violence and I don't want anyone to stop reading the story because of the torture involved in future chapters. So keep reading and just check the A/N to see what may be going on in the chapter.

Safe to read. For those that are wondering... the 'bad' stuff starts in the next chapter. (Smithy, your fears are not unfounded.)

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Who Goes, Who Stays**

When Allura walked into the conference room, she found Coran and Lance already there. Pidge had wanted to stop by and check on Hunk again. Moving to an open seat, she sat down. They would begin their discussion when Pidge arrived. No need to repeat things. Allura closed her eyes, put her fingers to her temples, and started massaging her head. There was a slight headache that she was sure would grow into a large one. She hadn't eaten in hours, she had thrown up from stress, and her husband was taken by an egomaniac. Yes, she was sure the headache would grow. Opening her eyes, she saw Pidge sitting a glass of water, some tablets, and some plain crackers in front of her. She looked at him questioningly.

"Dr. Gorma said you would probably have a headache and sent all of this with me. He said to take the pills and eat the crackers." Seeing her skeptical look, Pidge continued, "He said if that wasn't enough, to tell you that you won't be any good to the commander if you can't think straight."

Narrowing her blue eyes, she thought about it. Yes, _that_ sounded like Gorma. For once, she did as she was told by the doctor without complaining. Hopefully, the pills would help quickly. She nibbled at her crackers even though she really didn't want them, but realistically, she knew she should eat them.

Pidge sat in his seat as Lance addressed Coran. "So what did the computer diagnostics and reports show?"

"The computer and its programs are all working correctly. The reports show that there was an anomalous reading in the area where Lotor's ship appeared yesterday morning just before dawn."

"So he was observing and planning yesterday," Pidge commented. "That was unusually patient for Lotor."

"I think this has been the plan since he went off on that campaign. They've been observing us and our routines and waited for our guard to relax just a little." Lance slammed his hand down. "Okay, enough of what we can't change. Pidge, can you work on the computer so that the program recognizes the anomaly that is the stealth ship?"

"Yes, but it's going to take at least a few hours to rewrite the code and modify some of the programs."

"Get on it right after this meeting." Lance then surveyed the group. "Okay, we followed them all the way to Doom. We know that is where they took Keith, and unless they took the tracker out of him, he's still there. Our plan is to go in under the cover of dark to Castle Doom. The plan had been for Hunk and I to go, but that is out of the question and we can't wait for Sven. I know that he and Romelle are on a diplomatic mission that would take them several days to return from. We're down two team members and two Lions."

Allura spoke up. "I want to go. I can replace Hunk."

Leaning forward, Coran vehemently objected. "Out of the question, my Queen. We cannot risk having both you and the prince captured."

But Allura wasn't looking at Coran, she was looking at Lance.

Lance sat back in his chair. Allura was right, and Coran was right. This was a military decision and it was his to make. Taking a moment to weigh the pros and cons of both teammates, Lance made his decision. Pidge would not be physically able to carry Keith if he was injured, that task would fall to Lance if Pidge went. Allura would only be able to offer slight physical assistance. Pidge was better with firearms, but Allura could really handle herself in close quarters. Pidge would be able to patch into the Drule computer system. That was a big plus. And the final thing that swayed him was that Keith could be on death's door when they found him. Allura would be an unknown emotionally. Pidge would be able to compartmentalize his emotions until they were away from Doom. All the Force had been trained in that skill; Allura had not. "I'm sorry Allura, I'm taking Pidge. He will give me the best chance of bringing Keith home." He saw her face fall as he leaned forward to take her hand. "I know you would give me everything you have. You would help me carry him, you would kick ass, and you would shoot whoever needed to be shot." He saw her give a frail little smile.

Returning the squeeze on his hand, she added, "But…"

"But Pidge can patch into the computer system, which we may need to do. We also don't know what kind of shape Keith will be in. While it will hurt Pidge and me on the inside, we'll be able to push those emotions aside. We'll be able to think clearly and complete the mission. It's something we've been trained to do and you have not. It's not saying that you are lacking in anything; it's just saying you haven't been trained like we have."

She squeezed his hand again and drew a deep but ragged breath. "I understand. I am okay with staying here if the reasons are related to my abilities to complete the mission and not the fact that I am queen."

Looking her in the eye, Lance said with a characteristic smirk, "You should know me well enough by now, _Allura_, I don't take the royalty stuff too seriously. I would never keep you from a mission just because you are queen."

Coran cleared his voice and said, "Well, I'm glad that the queen will not be going. We have the craft already in the launch bay as prepared by the commander. All the supplies will be rechecked. Are there any new additions that need to be made? Any alterations now that Pidge will be going instead of Hunk?" Coran glanced from Pidge to Lance.

"I don't think there are any changes." Pidge looked over to Lance. "Can you think of any, Lieutenant?"

"I think you and I should review the contents of the ship just to be sure."

Coran looked at the clock on the wall. How long had Keith been on Doom? Three, maybe four hours? Looking at Lance, he asked, "What is the timeline on your departure?"

"It's late, but Pidge and I aren't going to get any sleep tonight. We will review the contents of the ship, change, and try to get a little rest. If we want to time our arrival right after the night shift change, we have to wait four more hours before we leave."

Four more hours to wait, plus the travel time. It's not what any of them wanted, but it was the plan that they made with Keith. It would be a long wait for all of them.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters.

**As always, thanks for Dawn for proofing!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Be warned that torture is a part of this arc and it starts in this chapter.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

**nThis chapter has torture in it. WARNING! However, it is not bloody or gory. If you hate it, just be gentle in your reviews...

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: It Begins**

Keith slowly opened his eyes and took a breath as he adjusted to the intense pain that radiated from his shoulders. He had no idea how long he'd been out. Soon after boarding Lotor's ship, they'd given him a shot that knocked him out. He listened for a moment and heard nothing, so he lifted his head and looked to see how bad his current predicament was. Suspended by his arms so that his feet couldn't touch the ground, he swayed slightly as he looked around. The black chains from which he hung were set apart so that he couldn't put his hands together. There was also some kind of fetter holding his feet down so that he could not swing very far. There was no hope for escape while he was held in this manner. Before he turned his attention to the room, he took note that Lotor had had him stripped of all clothing except for his boxer briefs. It seemed that torturing a man was okay, but nudity was not. Keith had little doubt that a female would not have been allowed to keep her underwear.

Turning his attention to the room, he saw he was in a cross between a lab and a torture chamber. The lights were currently on a dim setting, so he couldn't see everything clearly. He could see a couple of computers and a desk with some scientific instruments. Located in the center of the room was a table with restraints under a lighting console. There was a drain below the table and some type of water tubing hanging from the ceiling that probably aided in cleaning. His stomach turned a little at the thought of what could happen to him on that table that would require a drain. He saw a number of metal cabinets mounted on the wall with transparent material in the doors. Most likely, the clear material was unbreakable. Lotor just meant to cause distress for the room's occupants by showing the instruments of torture the cabinets contained. He could see numerous types of blades, whips, and hooks. The Alliance had versed them in torture techniques, and he wasn't surprised by the objects or the fact that Lotor would use them.

Keith thought over what he knew about Lotor's attack. Everything pointed to this being well-planned and thought out. There was probably a reason he had been drugged before coming to Doom. In fact, he wasn't sure he was on Doom…. Was that what they were hiding? Had they taken him somewhere else? He wasn't certain he was in the castle on Doom. Taking another look around, this room looked nothing like the dungeon full of holding cells that he had been in before. This room was all steel and tile, not stone and mortar. A cold chill ran through him. He hoped that the tracking device worked. Lance had told him to hold on to his hope and he needed to. The drugged disorientation had been Lotor's first blow in an effort to break him.

Keith's eyes moved to the only door in the room. There were sounds on the other side. There would only be a momentary glimpse into the corridor when the door opened. He had hoped to get a clue as to his whereabouts, but disappointment flooded him. All he could see was more of the same tile and steel as his captor walked in.

Casually walking over, as if he was just out for an afternoon stroll, Lotor stopped in front of him. He looked him up and down then walked away without saying a word. Knowing the commander's eyes were following him, he walked over to a cabinet on the wall, keyed in his code, and opened the door. His yellow eyes looked lovingly over the many instruments. He had determined weeks ago what instrument he would start with, but he'd let the commander wonder for a few moments.

Even though he watched Lotor closely, he couldn't see the numbers he keyed into the access pad, but he knew it was a four digit combination. He kept his eyes on Lotor as he looked over the weapons and found it a little unsettling how Lotor touched and almost caressed the torture tools. As Keith thought about it, everything for him would be unsettling for as long as he stayed here.

Lotor finally pulled out a one inch diameter rod that at the touch of a button went from one foot in length to three feet. The cabinet door closed with a soft click. Returning to stand in front of Keith, Lotor took the rod and placed the tip in the center of Keith's chest and gently pushed so that Keith swung slightly. In a soft low voice, Lotor said, "You have caused me no end of trouble, Commander, but I could have excused all of that if you had not touched my intended bride. I haven't decided yet if I will kill you, or keep you around for torture. I think it could be very fitting to make you watch as I make Allura mine." Lotor watched Keith's eyes closely and saw that he hadn't even blinked at his crass comment. "You've been trained well, Commander. No matter, I have had a lot of training and practice in breaking men. You may just take a little longer, but then, I like a challenge." Lotor smirked. "Before I begin, I need to change my gloves." He held up his gloved hand in front of Keith. These are one of my favorite pairs and I don't want to get any blood on them. He retracted the rod and walked to a desk, where he changed his gloves. Lotor made a show of changing the gloves by gently pulling on the fingers to remove them. Walking over to Keith, he pulled the new gloves on, flexing his fingers as the gloves molded to his hands. Taking the rod out from under his arm, he looked over his victim.

"Do you want to know what I'm going to do?" Lotor waited for a response.

Taking in Lotor's stance and demeanor, Keith didn't want to exacerbate the situation, but he didn't want to give him what he wanted either. Deciding to provide the most neutral answer he could come up with, he said, "You're going to do whatever the hell you want to."

Lotor threw back his head and laughed. "Indeed Commander, THAT is exactly what I'm going to do. And what I want is to make you hurt. I need to hurt you more than you have hurt me." Lotor took the rod and landed several heavy blows to Keith's torso, making him sway and the chains rattle. He saw Keith's eyes close and heard his grunts of pain. "Today, I will use this rod and my own hands to soften you up. You may not think so, but today I will be gentle with you." The rod hissed through the air landing further blows on Keith's body. Lotor spent the next hour or so beating Keith with the rod or his fists. By the time he finished, both of them were breathing heavy- Lotor from his exertion and Keith from his pain.

At the end, Lotor stepped back and admired the pattern of bruising and swelling that covered Keith from his chest to his knees. Only his arms escaped relatively unscathed, but then, Lotor knew that his shoulders where screaming from the pain of suspension. Stripping off the gloves, he dropped them in a waste bin and pressed a button on the wall. Glancing over at his captive he said, "Don't worry Commander, I have plenty more gloves." In just a minute, the door opened to admit a guard.

"How can I assist you, Prince Lotor?"

"I'm going to lower the commander to the floor. I need you to assist him to his cell."

"By your command, my Prince." The soldier moved over to stand near Keith. The Drule noticed that the prisoner's head lay on his chest and that his breathing was ragged. He did not seem to be much of a threat.

Lotor hit the release and Keith fell to the floor in heap with a loud groan.

Keith lay on the floor enjoying the relief for his shoulders that came from the blessed coldness of the tile floor. He was also able to breathe easier, without the issue of hanging by his arms. Having twisted his body as he fell, he had landed on his back so that he was able to train both eyes on Lotor and the guard. One of his eyes was partially swollen shut, but one and a half was better than just one. Perhaps the guard would make a stupid move that he could take advantage of….

Lotor tossed the guard the keys to the cuff locks. The heavyset guard was lumbering toward Keith when Lotor yelled, "You foolish imbecile! Put your gun over on the table! Never go next to this prisoner armed! He'll disarm you and kill you in a heartbeat!"

The guard struggled to pull the gun from the holster. Prince Lotor's rages were well-known and his punishments for incompetence were severe. "I'm sorry, Prince Lotor!" he stammered out as he put his gun on the table. "He is just so beaten, I thought he wouldn't have the strength to resist or attack." He was bowing low and practically groveling.

Lotor walked over closer to the guard and to Keith. "Stand up fool!" He watched as the guard stood trembling. Reaching for his favorite gloves, he pulled them on before continuing, "Do you know who this prisoner is?"

The guard flinched as he took a quick look at the prisoner. "No, my Prince, I do not."

Lotor looked over at Keith and saw him watching the scene. With loathing in his voice, Lotor informed him, "This, dear idiot soldier, is Keith Kogane, Commander of the Voltron Force." Lotor heard the guard's sharp intake of breath. "He is quite capable of killing you with his bare hands, even in his current condition."

"How… How am I supposed to get him in the cell and unlock his cuffs?" The guard was keenly aware of the danger he would be in when he went near the commander.

Lotor walked to another cabinet and keyed in a code and brought out what appeared to be a small pistol and walked back over. "Until we have the commander in a more… shall we say, disabled state, he should always be sedated before moving him to his cell." With that statement, Lotor raised the pistol and fired a dart in Keith's side.

Keith felt the effects almost immediately. Maybe it would last a few hours so that he could have some rest without feeling the pain that was everywhere in his body. If the team was following his plan, and he was in Castle Doom, then the breakout attempt would not be much longer in coming. He held on to that hope as a blissful darkness wrapped around him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters.

**As always, thanks for Dawn for proofing!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Be warned that torture is a part of this arc but there is none in this chapter

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

** This chapter has **NO** torture in it. Next chapter switches back to Keith.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Regrouping**

Swearing as he and Pidge exited the ship in the hanger bay, Lance slammed his fist into the side of the craft so hard that he felt he may have broken something. _Great,_ he thought, that was all he needed. He heard Allura call his name from across the room and saw her running toward him, and Coran followed at a slightly slower pace. They knew that the mission had been a failure, but Lance hadn't gone into detail over the open channel. They didn't want anyone to tap into their com system while they discussed the aspects of the mission.

Allura saw the pain and anger radiating off of Lance. She also saw him hit his hand. A trip to Dr. Gorma after the debriefing would be in store for him. He would be blaming himself. She knew that he would have done everything he could to get Keith, but he hadn't brought him home. _What had gone wrong?_ She had spent the last hour contemplating this question as she sat quietly in Hunk's hospital room after hearing the news.

Hunk had awoken while Lance and Pidge were gone, and it had taken two full hours to calm him down and explain things. He, too, was blaming himself. First Hunk, now Lance. Would Pidge and Coran soon follow? She didn't even mention herself. If anyone was to blame it was her… her and those damn wildflowers. She brushed her angry thoughts away, along with a lock of her hair. Keith would tell her and all of them, that the blame lies not with them, but with Lotor. It's hard to keep to that line of thinking when your imagination is running wild with the torture that could be going on right now.

Allura had reached Pidge and Lance, and she extended a hand to each of them. "Thank you for trying. I want to hear what happened and analyze what we can do differently on our next attempt." She didn't know how she managed to say all that so calmly.

Lance looked at her extended right hand. Pidge had already taken Allura's left hand, and they were waiting for him to take her right. "Allura, I-" His voice faltered.

"It's okay Lance. Take my hand. I _need_ to know what happened. Let's go to the briefing room."

Looking into her eyes, he saw her sincerity. She wasn't blaming him… yet. He would accept her friendship for as long as she chose to give it. Reaching out, he took her hand and they headed to the conference room.

Allura filled them in on Hunk's condition on their way there. They would all go see him after the meeting, because he would not want to be left out of the plans. Sitting down around the conference table, Lance leaned back and began.

"Everything was going as planned. The landing, the entrance to the castle dungeons, everything went perfectly. We searched half of the dungeon with no luck and time was running out. We decided to take the chance and tap into the Doom computer system."

Pidge took over at this point. He looked younger than usual as he explained his role in the failed mission. "I looked at all the prisoner entries and found nothing that would indicate the commander. I also looked at cell assignments to look for a pattern that could indicate Keith's location. I couldn't find anything. There were no entries that looked like they were related to him."

"At this point, I was at a loss. I told Pidge to download as much information as he could into the data pad while I tried to access another type of information." Lance took a breath and looked at the hand that he had hit the craft with. It was bruised and had started to swell slightly. "I found a guard and asked him about Keith. I figured that Lotor would have spread the news far and wide about Keith's capture. The guard didn't know anything about the capture or Lotor's return. I beat him half to death,so I think he was telling the truth." He stopped here and looked up at Allura with anguish in his eyes.

"I tripped some kind of alarm in the computer system, so we took what we could and headed back to the ship. We only had to fire a few shots as we left." Pidge concluded.

Allura put both hands on the table and absentmindedly twisted her wedding ring. She didn't notice that she was doing it, but everyone else at the table noticed as the stones twinkled in the lights. "So what do we do now?" she asked.

Looking at his data pad, Pidge spoke. "I've been going through the Drule data since Lance and I got on the ship. Everything I see corroborates what we already thought. The commander is not in Castle Doom."

"What does that mean, Pidge?" Coran asked. "The tracking device said he went to Doom. Have they removed it and taken him somewhere else?"

Pidge actually smiled. "I didn't say he wasn't on Doom, I just said he wasn't _in the castle_. Doom has a number of other structures and buildings. I think that he's in Haggar's lab facility."

Blanching at that statement, Allura's voice was unsteady as she asked, "Haggar's lab? Where she creates robeasts?"

"Oh Princess, I don't think that's what she's doing. Let me explain." Pidge took a moment to connect his data pad with the projector system in the room. "About the same time as the beginning of Lotor's campaign, you can see that an order was placed for building supplies and the order was shipped to Haggar's lab. There haven't been any orders for building supplies for Haggar in years. There were also some transfer orders for some guards to be moved to Haggar's facility at the beginning of this month. She hadn't had any transfers in months. I think they've made a room just for Keith."

Coran ran a hand through his hair. "Pidge, that's possible, but it's all speculation. How could they keep this a secret? How could they even keep Lotor's return to Doom a secret? I just don't know."

Pidge's smile became a grin as he said, "Ah, but Coran, I haven't revealed the most telling of the data." Waiting until all eyes were on him, he gave them his promising nugget of information. "Yesterday, a request was made to have five of Lotor's women transferred to Haggar's facility." He felt a sense of satisfaction as he looked around.

"Right," Lance said. "That means Lotor's there. And that is where Keith will be too. I admit, they have been very calculating about this, more so than they've ever been before. We need to be calculating as well. I know we all want to jump right back on the ship and head out, but we've got to play this smart. We need to dig up what information we can find on Haggar's little nest and plot out a strategy. The place is too big and to this point, they've been more prepared than we have been. We've got to do it right when we go in." Lance scanned the determined faces around him. He handed out assignments and said, "Let's meet back in five hours in Hunk's room. I'm going to give him a data pad and an assignment too. I'm going to update him now." With that, the meeting broke up.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters.

**As always, thanks for Dawn for proofing!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Be warned that torture is a part of this arc but none in this chapter.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

** This chapter **doesn't** have torture in it, but Keith is in it – but don't freak out, remember, no torture.

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Questions and Answers**

The lights were dimmed again when Keith woke up. He was cold and ached all over. Sitting up, he looked around to see what his cell looked like. It was small, barely five feet all around. There was no way he could stand all the way up or lay all the way down. It was meant to keep him cramped up and uncomfortable. There were no furnishings. There was a recessed light in the ceiling that had a grate so he couldn't reach it and there was a small hole in a back corner for him to relieve himself. The floor was black tiles with three stainless steel walls and ceiling. The fourth wall was his door to the torture chamber, and it was a grid made of heavy black metal. He felt for a locking mechanism but couldn't find one. It was probably electronic and it could be wall mounted or hand-held. He would have to watch how they opened the door. It could be an opportunity for him.

Having learned as much as he could about his accommodations, he turned his attention to the bread and water that had been left outside his cell. They had given him a small bottle of water with a lid and the equivalent of two slices of bread. He was happy to have received anything. Knowing they may have drugged the food, he ate it anyway, not having much choice. After eating and drinking everything, he kept the water bottle inside his cell. He'd see if they made him give it back.

Keith leaned back against the cell wall and assessed his injuries. He had more contusions than he could count and the myriad of colors on his body made it look even worse. If Allura saw him now… Well, he'd be happy for her to see him now if this was as bad as it was going to get.

Something had happened to derail the rescue plan, but he knew they wouldn't give up. He needed to stay of the same mind. With the multiple druggings, he had no idea if it were night or day or how long he had actually been here. Hearing the door click open, he knew that Lotor must have this medicine timed precisely or some monitoring device in here that alerted him to movement. Looking for cameras would give him something to focus on during his next session.

"Well, well, Commander. Are you enjoying your stay?" Haggar's voice grated harshly on his ear.

Keith's blood ran a little cold as she came into view. "Yes, they are lovely accommodations. And just look," he pointed to his side which had turned black, blue and purple, "Lotor's trying to make me the same shade as you. He just hasn't perfected the color yet. Don't worry though; I'm sure he'll keep trying."

Narrowing her eyes at him, she cackled, "The prince won't be happy that you still have your sense of humor. I'd hide that from him if I were you."

Keith found it odd that Haggar was giving him advice, and advice that he agreed with at that. "Why are you here, Haggar? Are you just checking on me or have you come to torture me in your own way?" Keith noticed that there was a smell of smoke that flavored the air around her. Was it from her lab or just the smell the witch had? Now was not the time to ask.

"Unfortunately for you, Commander, it's a little of both. I wanted to check on you, and Lotor wanted me to ready you for your next session."

Staring at her with open surprise and concern, Keith asked, "Lotor wants _you_ to prep me?"

"Why yes, Commander. After that foolish guard almost came near you with a gun, Lotor will only allow him in here after your sessions or if you are restrained. He has asked me to ready you for your sessions until he deems you weak enough to allow the guard to assist." Haggar shuffled about the room moving things about and changing the light levels.

"I'm flattered." Keith watched her move. He wasn't sure what she was doing. "Where am I, Haggar? I'm not in the castle."

"No, Commander, you are not. Keep asking questions, I may answer them."

Keith thought for a moment. If Haggar were here with Lotor and Drule guards, perhaps they were on Doom. "Am I in your compound?"

"You have very good deductive reasoning, Commander."

He wasn't sure why she was answering him, but he would continue to learn what he could. Of course, she may be telling the truth about some things and providing false information about others. He would have to figure it out as he went along. "How long have I been here?"

"Now, now, Commander. Yes or no questions only." She turned now to face him. "You have time for only one more question."

"Have my friends tried to rescue me?" Perhaps it was telling that he had asked. Maybe he gave her something he shouldn't, but he found that question to be more important than the time he had been imprisoned.

"Yes." Haggar watched as the commander leaned his head back. He didn't open his eyes as she began an incantation. When she finished, he heard his cell door click open and slide back. "Open your eyes, Commander, and come here."

Having placed a spell on him, he had to follow her orders. Groaning as his body moved to comply, Keith moved slowly to the place she indicated. He gave her a questioning look.

"For the spell to work, the subject has to be weakened emotionally and physically. The knowledge that your friends had come and not found you, well, I thought that may help weaken you some. I'm not sure that it had the effect that I wanted, but the spell worked none-the-less." She moved to shackle him as he had been yesterday. "You are wondering why I told you. I have other spells I can use. This is only one of many." She walked over to the wall and touched a few buttons; his arms began to rise as the chains lifted.

Keith tried to steel himself against the pain, but he was unsuccessful and let out a sharp hiss as his arms lifted above his head. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes as the pain mounted when his full weight hung once more from his arms.

Looking at him without remorse or feeling, Haggar gave him the grim news. "The prince will be here within the hour."


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters.

**As always, thanks for Dawn for proofing!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Be warned that torture is a part of this arc and it is in this chapter.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

Going out of town - next post will probably be Monday a.m. (US-EST). However, please review, will respond to those tonight before leaving.

** This chapter has torture in it. **WARNING!** This one is rather bloody. I suggest that if you start to find yourself squeamish, that you just scan down a few paragraphs until you see Haggar's name. You will be fine to read that section and it is important to the storyline. However, when Haggar leaves the room, you should too.

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: Questioning Magic**

Haggar had been right about the timing. Lotor had arrived in an hour and found Keith positioned as he requested. Once again changing his gloves, he removed a whip from the cabinet. Lotor noticed that the commander watched him again, and Lotor smiled to himself. Commander Kogane had a hope of learning something that would help him escape. He would break him of that hope soon enough.

Cracking the whip as he walked toward Keith, Lotor began humming a tune that had no meaning to his captive. Whipping him across the back, he opened the skin in several places on the first try. After a few more well-placed hits, he crossed the room to admire the blood running down his captive's body. Circling the hanging prisoner, he rarely spoke as he lashed out, bringing fresh welts, flayed skin, and more cries of anguish. When he was satisfied with the damage he had inflicted, he removed his gloves and sat with a glass of wine that had been brought by a serving girl. The prince studied his adversary as he still swayed. The whip had been very effective. The commander hadn't been able to contain his cries of pain during this session.

Lotor pressed a button on the wall and moved his chair closer to the hanging figure. He took a swallow of his wine as he sat down and stretched out his black boot to rest against Keith's leg, and then he gently pushed. He knew that even the slight movement would cause Keith to wince in pain. "You know, I thought this was going to get messy. I'm so glad that I wore some old clothes today because blood stains are hard to get out. This shirt is absolutely ruined." He looked down at his shirt, the pattern of blood crossing it at several angles. The whip had sprayed a little more blood than he had expected. He would have to tell the guard to spray down the room when they were finished.

The door opened, and both Haggar and the guard entered. Haggar spoke for them both. "Is it time, Prince Lotor?"

"Yes witch. I don't think he can do anything now, but I'm not taking any chances. Spell him."

Haggar walked over and said her strange incantations and a soft blue glow surrounded Keith. Haggar looked at the guard, "You can move him to the table now."

The guard looked apprehensively at the glowing prisoner and then to Lotor.

"Don't make me ask again, witless fool." Lotor took one last drink, set the goblet forcefully down on the desk, and went to the cabinet of evil instruments. He heard the sounds of the prisoner being moved to the metal table behind him.

Haggar stood watching as the guard moved the commander. Something was off… Her magic was tied to things in the past, present, and future. Colors, smells, and feelings were tied to the magic in an intricate way that she could not explain to non-magical creatures like Lotor, Zarkon, or that foolish guard. The aura around Commander Kogane had glowed blue when she spelled him. The color should have been more of a light green. Lotor would scoff if she told him that something was wrong based on the color of the aura, so she would not tell him. Her magic was trying to warn her, and she would heed its warning.

Taking a moment more to find what he needed, Lotor turned to the table. "Guard you may go for now."

Keith looked up into the light fixture above him. The cold of the table actually felt good to his tattered back but then, he hadn't been moved here for his comfort. He was held in place on the table by restraints around his hands, feet, and chest. Feeling some blood pooling beneath his back as he continued to bleed, he knew that the drain and sprayer would definitely be needed if they moved him.

Moving to stand next to Lotor at the head of the table, Haggar said, "Prince, I need to take a few samples from the commander before I go."

"What for? We have him. I don't see the need for samples." Lotor's tone was dismissive.

"I would like to work on perfecting my spells. I can't explain the magic, but just know that it can only help with his torture." Haggar pulled a pair of scissors and a small glass jar out of her dark brown robe.

Lotor looked at the items with a touch of surprise. Where did the old crone get those from? What other things did she have concealed in her robe? His eyes narrowed; maybe some things were better left unknown. "What kind of samples do you need?"

"I just need some hair and blood, my wicked Prince." She lowered her head in deference. She would toady to him today; she needed those samples.

Laughter erupted from the prince. "Go ahead witch, there's plenty of both to be had."

Keith's eyes apprehensively watched Haggar as she cut some of his hair and then mopped it in his blood that was on the table. The bloody hair was dropped into the glass jar, sealed and then it disappeared in her robe. There was nothing he could do to stop her, and he watched as she exited the room. His mind momentarily left his pain to consider what the witch would do with the 'samples.' He was brought back to the here and now very quickly.

When the door closed behind Haggar, Lotor spoke, "I've done some research on torture from your home planet. I have actually gotten some good ideas, and I thought I would experiment with them on you." Lotor gave him a toothy grin as he held up an object that looked like a sharp metal nail. "Tell me Commander, have you ever heard of the 'denailing technique'?"

Closing his eyes, Keith thought about it. He did know about the technique and he'd prefer not to watch. Perhaps with all of his injuries, he might pass out. In fact, he would welcome it. Keith couldn't control his screams as Lotor drove the first object under a fingernail.

An hour later, Lotor watched as the guard hosed down the table with Keith still on it. The guard then moved to the rest of the room. Soon all traces of the bloody torture had been removed. Lotor stood looking at the dripping body of his captive. He had stayed conscious while he had driven spikes under all ten nails. Lotor had let him endure this pain for thirty minutes, occasionally walking by and pressing on a spike. He had then started removing some of the nails completely. After removing four toenails, the commander passed out. He had thought Keith would have been able to handle it, but then, he wasn't in prime condition. Perhaps he should have started with this instead of the beating.

"Prince Lotor, the cleansing is completed. Do you wish for me to move the prisoner to his cell?"

"No, leave him there, if you move him, he'll just drip blood all over the floor." Then Lotor patted the guard on the back as they both exited. "I plan on returning in a few hours anyway."


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters. Canalor is mine.

**Beta: Dawn! ;-D Big thanks for hanging in there with the tough dark chapters!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Be warned that torture is a part of this arc and it is a part of this chapter.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

** This chapter has torture in it. **WARNING!** The first part talks about his wounds and if you can handle that, you should read it as this section is also important to the story arc. If you're squeamish, stop reading when the strappado technique is mentioned.

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: It Continues**

Keith was groggy as he woke up yet again in the torture chamber. The pain was everywhere. Besides the pain, all he knew was the dim lighting, the table, and the wetness. Closing his eyes, he thought about the sprayer and the drain. He could imagine the red blood washing down off the table and disappearing through the small holes in the drain. How much blood had he lost? Hearing the door click, his eyes closed, no longer wanting to see who came and went. The only thing he knew for certain right now was pain. The lights brightened and he heard Lotor's voice and he knew the pain would intensify soon.

"Here he is Dr. Canalor."

_Doctor?_ Keith didn't open his eyes, but he was curious. The sound of boots on the tile, like knocking on a door, came to him and then the whirl of a med scanner. He heard the doctor rattle off his current state – bruising both external and internal, two cracked ribs, dehydration, and minor blood loss. _"Only two cracked ribs?"_ Keith thought to himself. It felt like more.

"I will need to examine his back and close up some of the wounds."

Lotor snorted. "I don't want his wounds closed. He's supposed to suffer!"

"I believe that you plan on doing further torture that will result in blood loss?" the doctor asked, unperturbed by the hostility in Lotor's voice. At Lotor's nod, he continued in a dry tone. "Your victim could expire due to blood loss and you will lose your opportunity to continue. How anticlimactic it would be for him to expire in his cell due to dehydration and blood loss."

"I understand. What do we need to do to keep him alive?"

"I will need to examine his back, as I said, and close up some of the wounds. Also, after you have finished this session, the commander will need to remain on this table. I will fix some IV drips to replenish his fluids and relieve the dehydration that has started." The doctor did not sound emotional as he related his plan of action. He knew that Lotor did not want any sentiment in regards to the Voltron pilot. However, he had trained off-world in many cultures and he had, unfortunately according to most Drules, picked up some compassion along the way. He was tolerated by the royal Drule court because of his skill, but he knew to guard his compassionate side. There was only so much Zarkon and Lotor could handle.

Lotor thought for a moment. "I will allow it. Do I need to get the witch to come and spell him?"

Unable to hide the hint of a smile, the doctor replied, "I don't think the commander is quite capable of taking both of us out right now, my Prince. However, I did bring a mild sedative that will keep him awake, but unable to move."

"Are you saying he's conscious right now?" Lotor asked in surprise looking at the wounded man on the table.

"Indeed he is."

Keith felt the shot go in his arm, and then he could feel the restraints being removed. He could hear the doctor moving about the room, and then he felt his body being lifted to a sitting position with his head resting on what was probably the doctor's chest.

"Guard, come over here and wipe the blood from the table please." Canalor's voice was loud in Keith's ear. "Now, help me turn his body."

Looking down at the body in front of him, he saw a lot of open wounds crisscrossing each other over the commander's back. It was like looking at a slab of raw meat. He began cleaning the wounds, looking to see if there was anything unusual about each one. Four of the lacerations were deep and causing the most blood loss. Without Lotor knowing what he did, he numbed the area, knowing the brutal prince would not approve. He then stitched the four deep lacerations and placed the bonding material overtop. He also sealed up three more of the lacerations without stitches, using the bonding material. He left the other wounds open as he could feel the eyes of the prince boring into him. Hopefully, the open wounds would release just enough blood to make the blood-thirsty prince happy. With that, the doctor stripped off his gloves and tossed them into the trash. "Now my Prince, tell me how I can assist you with the torture." He placed his hands behind his back and rocked back and forth on his heels. It was a way to control his nervous energy as he knew he would not like what he was asked to do.

Lotor walked to a tray that he had positioned near the table and held up a spike about ¼ inch in diameter. "I want you to help me put this through the commander's shoulder."

Wondering if his blue skin had turned white, Canalor walked forward. Taking the spike from Lotor, he looked at it more closely. It had a flat head on one end and a sharp point on the other and grooves moving from the point up the shaft. Lotor reached to take it lovingly from his hands. He reached over to the table and found a small key and inserted it in the flat head and turned it. Small bumps appeared along the length of the shaft.

"After the spike or bolt is inserted, a nut will be threaded on the end to keep it from being pulled out. The key is then inserted and these nubs will emerge. Imagine the pain as the spike is turned." Lotor smiled a toothy grin as he retracted the nubs and laid the torture device back down. "I'm not familiar enough with internal anatomy to place the spike without assistance. I know there is a large grouping of nerves near the shoulder as well as an important artery. I want to avoid these as well as the bones."

Dr. Canalor was surprised that the prince knew that much. Glancing from the spike to the commander, he knew that it would be incredibly painful and dangerous. "I can assist you Prince Lotor, but I think you should wait until he is well from this round of torture. His shoulder joints are swollen and inflamed and it will make the placement of the bolt difficult. Can you postpone this for a few weeks?" Canalor would have described Lotor's reaction as pouting.

Not answering for about a minute, Lotor grudgingly replied, "Yes, I will postpone it. But do you hear that, Commander?" Lotor's voice became louder. "I'm only _postponing_ it. You will be here for a long time." Lotor saw the doctor start to move towards the door. "Wait doctor, I will still need your help. Has the sedative worn off?"

Walking over, he did a quick reflex test. "No, but it should wear off in the next ten minutes or so."

"Good. Guard, release him and move him over to that wooden apparatus." Lotor looked to Keith who had opened his eyes as the guard released him. If he couldn't torture Keith with the spike, then he would use another device to inflict pain. "Commander, this is a modified version of the strappado technique, another form of Earth torture. As the doctor said, your shoulders are already sore, so dislocating them shouldn't add much more pain."

The guard moved the still drugged Keith to a kneeling position under the pendulum and began cuffing his hands.

The doctor was afraid to ask, but he did so anyway. "How does it work?" He was surprised when the commander responded.

"My hands will be cuffed behind my back and the chain attached. The chain will be slowly raised until my arms are completely extended behind my back, at which point, my body will be raised off the ground. My shoulders will dislocate because of the angle and the weight. If they do not, Lotor will attach one or more of those weights over there to my feet until they do dislocate." Keith had looked at Canalor the whole time. He sensed some sort of caring in the Drule as he knew that the doctor had deadened his back before stitching. In fact, it was still numb, giving him some relief. He knew the doctor wouldn't be able to stop the torture, but maybe he would help him afterwards.

"Very good. I'm glad to see that Galaxy Garrison trains their soldiers in all the arts. We'll wait fifteen minutes for your sedation to completely wear off and then we'll begin." Lotor then walked away to put away his beloved spike while the doctor just stared at the form of the kneeling commander.

The doctor drew in a deep breath to prepare himself for the violence that was before him; he was saddened that his race would indulge in such behavior. Lotor wasn't the only Drule to enjoy the pain of others. You only had to look at the stadium and see the robeasts and the slaves that were thrown in to be slaughtered. Disgusting. Maybe there would be something that he could do, until then, he would have to watch and wait. And so he did.

It was about two hours later that Keith's torture was almost over. Lotor had enjoyed the cries of pain coming from the commander as he very slowly raised the chain. Finally, Keith's shoulders had dislocated. Lotor let him hang there for awhile until the doctor spoke up.

"My Prince, if you let him hang there much longer, you risk the possibility of permanent nerve damage. The commander could lose the use of his arms permanently."

"Hmmmm. I really don't mind if he uses his arms or not… but it would be inconvenient if he were unable to feed or relieve himself." Pausing, Lotor pressed a few buttons and Keith fell to the floor.

Walking over to the writhing, moaning man on the floor, Canalor requested, "Please uncuff him, and return him to the table. I need to put the joints back in place." He turned and saw the prince frown at this. "Don't worry, my Prince, he will be in pain for several hours from this experience."

Lotor waved to the guard who uncuffed Keith's hands. The guard went to lift Keith up so that he could assist him to the table when Lotor halted him. "Wait, leave him there for a moment." Lotor went over to a cabinet and removed a very heavy looking cudgel.

"My Prince, what are you going to do with that?" Canalor asked apprehensively. His apprehension only grew as Lotor walked toward the commander and raised the cudgel above his head.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters.

**Beta: Dawn! Thanks for your hard work!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Be warned that torture is a part of this arc and it is a part of this chapter.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

** This chapter has torture in it. **WARNING!** This chapter may be short, but it is rough. If you had problems with the last chapter, just read the last paragraph.

This chapter is SHORT but important. Decided to go ahead and do a publish this morning. Will publish again tomorrow.

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: Change of Heart**

Lotor felt the weight of the cudgel in his hand; it felt good. He had been irritated that the doctor didn't let him use the spike, and now the doctor was going to put the commander's shoulders back in place. Wanting to be sure that his prisoner had an injury that could easily be aggravated, Lotor raised the cudgel over his head and looked down at the body on the floor. The prisoner's heavy breathing and occasional moans could be easily heard. He wondered how loud the commander would scream at the blow. Well, time to find out, and he brought the club down on Keith's left leg.

Keith had no idea what was happening. Once he had been dropped to the floor, he had just worked to breathe normally. He desperately did not want to move since moving meant intense, undeniable pain. Unable to break his fall, the right side of his face had come into violent contact with the tile floor. But the pain in his face was nothing compared to his shoulders. He felt the guard freeing his hands, but he made no move to change their position. Was that doctor saying something? He wasn't sure; he just wanted to lay here and not be touched. Wanting just to breathe, he tensed slightly as he heard Lotor's steps coming toward him. He kept his eyes closed. If more pain was coming, he didn't want to know.

With the cudgel hanging loosely from his hand, Lotor smiled as the commander screamed in intense anguish over and over. Keith had screamed at the blow and then again as his body convulsed, twisting his dislocated shoulders. Without turning his head from the writhing man on the floor, Lotor stuck out his arm stopping the doctor from going to assist. "There's plenty of time,Doctor, to help him. Let's have a seat and drink some wine." Moving to the communication device, Lotor called for another chair and two goblets of wine. No one on the com line questioned the screaming that was sure to be audible.

As Canalor seated himself in the comfortable armchair patterned with the Doom insignia, he glanced over at the commander who was now barely moving. He still gave small cries and moans every now and then, moving only his relatively uninjured right leg. Canalor swirled the wine in the goblet, not really wanting to drink anything after what he had just witnessed.

Gazing into the dark liquid, Lotor took a long swallow. He closed his eyes feeling the warmth of the liquid travel down his throat. The offensive sight of the commander greeted him when he opened his eyes. Standing with the goblet in hand, he walked over and kicked Keith in the side bringing fresh cries of pain. He returned to his chair, swirled his wine, and casually said, "There, that's better. Now doctor, tell me about the worlds where you've trained."

Taking another swallow of wine before he spoke, Canalor was amazed at how the prince was nonplussed by his own actions. He had thought he could come back here, to his home and serve his king and his people, but he now knew he couldn't. He had to find a way out for the commander and himself. Thinking quickly of the worlds on which he had studied, Canalor had to make a choice. He did not want to create a new target for the empire. Balto. He knew that Doom had destroyed it; the prince should know something personal about a world that he helped destroy. So he began, "Well, my prince, let me tell you about my stay on Balto."


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters.

**Beta: Dawn! ;-D Big thanks for hanging in there with the tough dark chapters!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Be warned that torture is a part of this arc butit is NOT a part of this chapter.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

** Safe to read.

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: Divination**

Haggar's kettle spit and hissed with a steaming purple liquid as her cat looked on with interest. "I'm sorry my pet, there is nothing cooking in there for you right now. Here." Walking over to a small cage, she lifted a live mouse out by its tail. With a toss of her wrist, the mouse sailed through the air. Koba lifted his paw and batted it to the ground, chasing it. "Have fun my pet."

Haggar then pulled the glass jar containing the samples of the commander's hair and blood from her robe and sat it next to the bubbling caldron. Pulling a black metal ladle from the shelf, she took some of the bubbling liquid from the cauldron. A black onyx bowl that sat on the counter sparkled in the light as she poured the heated liquid into it. The liquid continued to bubble and steam as if it were still in the cauldron. Opening the glass jar, she took half of the hair and dropped it into the bowl. The liquid hissed and bubbled over the side of the bowl, as if it rejected the sample of hair and blood. Settling to the bottom of the bowl, only steam rising from it, the color of the liquid had changed to a pale blue. It was a color similar to that of the aura that had surrounded the commander earlier. Haggar took the steaming bowl over to the clear crystal globe that she used to divine future events. Pouring the steaming liquid over the globe, she began her spell of divination.

Shapes and colors began to swirl within the globe. Closing her eyes as her mind connected to the crystal, the people and events came to her mind quickly. When the crystal globe cleared of all shapes and colors, Haggar opened her eyes.

It was not what she had expected. She had always known that Lotor's obsession with the Arusian princess was unhealthy and destructive. He would have to give it up and more importantly, the commander had to be freed. Needing an ally, she went to find Dr. Canalor.

The doctor was sitting in the office that Lotor had assigned him. He was to stay in Haggar's compound until released. If the prince continued to torture the commander as he had over the last few days, his stay here would be short. He thought back to what he had just witnessed. Lotor had made him wait over an hour to put the commander's shoulders back in place. That had been bad enough, but every ten minutes or so, he would get up and kick his prisoner in order to bring on a fresh round of screams. Finally, Lotor had let the doctor and the guard place the commander on the table. Thankfully, the commander had lapsed into unconsciousness when Canalor set the first shoulder. He had quickly set the second shoulder and Lotor had only allowed him to put a temporary wooden splint on the broken leg. The table restraints were then tightened so that Canalor could start the IV fluids. Closing his eyes and shaking his head, the restraints had been totally unnecessary. The commander would take weeks to recover if left alone to heal, but Lotor would never allow that. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he closed his eyes. He had to find a way to free Commander Kogane, and he had to go with him. A knock came at his door.

Haggar stood at Canalor's office door. She knew he was in there as she had seen his shadow under the door. The shadow moved and the door opened. Seeing the fear in his eyes, she asked, "May I come in, Doctor?" It was asked as a question, but she assumed the answer as she swept inside and closed the door. Turning, she placed a spell on the door and the room. What she had to say could only be said under tightly controlled conditions.

The doctor now looked at her with undisguised fear in his yellow eyes. Somehow the witch had read his mind and had come to kill him. He would wait for her to speak; no need to incriminate himself.

She looked at the fear in the doctor's eyes. Haggar had not doubted her vision, but she saw the proof of its truth here. "I have put a spell of secrecy around the room. No one will know what we speak of, and I would deny it if you chose to break the trust." Seeing that she had his attention, she continued, "The prince's obsession with the queen, and now with the torture of her husband, has become destructive to the prince and it will soon become destructive to the Drule Empire."

"What do you mean?"

"When I spelled the commander earlier today, my magic reacted in an unusual way. I do not know how to explain magic to a man of science. You will have to take my word when I say that magic is fluid. It can relay messages to the present about future events. My magic today told me that something happening now would have an unpleasant effect upon the future. I went to my lab and divined some unpleasant truths that will not be easy for many to hear. It also showed me that you could be of assistance."

"I'm not sure how I can assist with magic."

"It is not with magic that I need assistance. I need you to get Commander Kogane off of Doom."

Canalor sat down. This was not something he had expected. "I don't understand. Why would I want to get the commander off of Doom?"

"Don't think that you can play games with me, Canalor. I have seen with my own eyes and divined that you have been uncomfortable with his torture. You want to free him and you want to leave with him. Do not deny it. It fits with my plans, so you should not worry. That is, unless Lotor finds out our plans, and then we will both be expendable."

"Why?"

The question was simple, and it would benefit her to let him know. Well, at least some of what she saw. "The Voltron Force has surmised that the commander is being held here, but the compound is large and they take time to be certain of where to search. If they come here, Lotor plans to kill him before they can free him. My divination shows the Force taking back a dead body. I do not know how he dies. It could be from his torture or the prince learning of the rescue attempt. No matter the cause, the result is the same. Commander Kogane's death will cause the queen to channel her grief into retribution, and she will turn Voltron into an offensive weapon. She will rally other worlds and demand that the Galaxy Alliance send the Vehicle Voltron Force to this galaxy. She will be relentless with them. Because of his status as an Alliance officer and monarch of a world, they will respond. We will have crossed a line from which we cannot retreat. They will decimate Doom and cause destruction to many parts of the Drule Empire."

He studied her. It was an elaborate explanation and surprisingly, it held a ring of truth. Truth was not something that was often associated with Haggar or anyone in the royal court. But this was self-preservation, and he could whole-heartedly believe that she was capable of that. "Why do you need my help? Why not go to the prince yourself, or the king?"

"You have seen the prince with the commander. Do you believe that he would let him go?" She watched the doctor closely assessing his body language and comments.

"No. He is too obsessed with revenge for something he never possessed. He causes Kogane unimaginable pain, yet it is never enough." Crossing his arms, he looked at Haggar. "What about the king?"

"I plan to go to the king and use a spell to allow him access to my memories of the divination. He will understand the need. However, there is the reputation of the Empire to consider. We can't just call Arus and say, 'Prince Lotor has lost his mind and we made a mistake in kidnapping your monarch.' No. Appearances must be upheld. If there were a _traitor_ who gave the Voltron Force information that allowed them to infiltrate and retrieve the commander, well, that can be excused."

"I'm sorry Haggar, I'm still not convinced. Freeing the commander will save him for the moment, but we've already discussed the prince's obsession. What will prevent him from attempting the same thing again?" Canalor felt drained from this whole conversation, and the chance they were taking even discussing this. Moving to his desk, he had a seat.

"The king will not allow Prince Lotor to destroy what he has worked so hard to create. Lotor was successful in his last campaign. Zarkon may send him back there. It will be a temporary solution until the king can find another princess to occupy Lotor's need for obsession." Glancing toward the door, Haggar finished, "Our time is running out. What is your decision?"

Letting out a sigh, which was very uncharacteristic for a Drule, Canalor said, "Do I really have a choice if I want the commander to live? His life is at risk every time Lotor tortures him. I will help you."

"Very well Doctor, let's go over the plan quickly. There is a lot to be done."


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters.

**Beta: Dawn! ;-D Big thanks for hanging in there with the tough dark chapters!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Be warned that torture is a part of this arc but it is NOT a part of this chapter.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

** Safe to read.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews, favorites, and follows. They are greatly appreciated! I hope the story continues to meet your expectations and that you've enjoyed a few surprises along the way. Now on to the next chapter!

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Rescue Revision**

Coran, Lance, Allura and Pidge all assembled in Castle Control. Word had come that there was a private, secure communication, and the sender would only speak to the four now assembled. Coran sat at the control panel and keyed the information indicating that they were assembled and the room was secured. They were apprehensive about this call since they were only hours from launching another rescue attempt.

"This is Planet Arus." Coran's voice practically echoed in the silence of the room.

The view screen came to life. "This is Dr. Canalor, royal physician of King Zarkon. I have critical information about Commander Kogane."

Lance was the primary contact on the Arus side of communication, so he voiced their question. "Why should we believe what you have to say?"

"You don't have any reason to, but you must if the commander is to live. I have been in the torture room with the prince. He had no reason, no sanity. I know of your impending raid on Haggar's compound. Events will occur that will lead to the commander's death, and you will only have a dead body to take back with you. You will have failed and this galaxy will be thrown into turmoil." Canalor leaned in closer, his words holding the ring of truth.

Allura's voice shook with emotion as she spoke. "You speak of events that haven't yet occurred."

"I have. Haggar has divined this information. I know that you have no reason to trust Haggar either. But I can tell you that you plan to land on the lava plain about five miles from this facility an hour before the mid-night shift change. If we wanted to harm you or capture you, we could have." Canalor searched their faces. This was the moment.

The team looked at each other. He was correct in his details. They could have walked into a trap.

Walking over to stand behind Coran, Lance asked, "What plan do you have to save the commander?"

"I am sending you access codes and a route to the room where Kogane is being held. The timing and directions are specific. You must follow them to avoid detection. Also, you will need to bring a harness to wear that the commander can be strapped into. He is unable to walk, and to avoid detection, I will have to sedate him for our exit." Canalor's fingers moved over the keyboard, sending Arus the information needed.

Immediately keying into the words of the doctor, Lance asked for clarification. "What do you mean by 'our'? Do you plan on coming with us?"

Dropping his head for a minute, Canalor looked back up at them with resolve. "I have trained on many worlds. I have experienced compassion. I had hoped to bring this back to my planet, but the royal court is not currently open to this emotion. I do not wish to stay, and frankly, after this, I cannot stay."

Allura spoke. "You can come with us, but you will be cuffed."

There was a momentary hesitation before Canalor spoke again. "I am also sending a list of medical supplies that your physicians should send. Your husband will need immediate medical attention on the trip to Arus. I can provide it unless you are bringing a physician with you."

Lance looked at Allura. "He is your husband, what do you think?"

Allura didn't look away from the Drule doctor as she said. "I choose to believe that there is good in the Drule people. He will know Keith's injuries, and I will keep a gun on him myself. If he tries to harm Keith, he will wish he had stayed on Doom."

Watching the queen as she said this, he now understood why Haggar said the commander must live. The queen was very determined. "Understood. I will await you at the specified location."

Lance turned on Allura after the Drule doctor had disappeared from the screen, "What do you mean 'I will keep a gun on him'? You're not going on the mission."

Facing off against Lance while Coran and Pidge watched, Allura said, "I WILL go. We now have specific directions and locations. The doctor will be coming with us and can assist in carrying Keith." She turned and walked to a nearby console and ran her fingers across its keys. Her voice was soft, but in the silent room, it was like a shout, "If he dies, I have to know that I did everything I could to save him." She stayed with her fingers running across the keys, not typing anything, just feeling them beneath her fingers.

Lance looked at Coran and Pidge; they both nodded at him. Walking up behind the queen, he put his hand on her shoulder. "You're coming, AND we're bringing him back. We're bringing him back _alive,_ Allura. I won't believe anything else." He wasn't surprised when she turned and tightly embraced him.

As she held tightly to her good friend, the conversation with her father and Keith echoed through her mind. They had gone to Alfor to get his blessing on their union months before. Allura remembered Keith saying to Alfor, _"I promise you that I will love and defend her until the day I die." _ A chill ran through Allura now as she thought of her father's reply, _"I pray that day will be far away, Commander…."_ She closed her eyes tightly.

Lance held her. He could hear that she was whispering something over and over. Leaning a little lower to hear her words, they meant nothing to him but they seemed to mean everything to her. "Let that day be far away. Let that day be far away. Let that day…"


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters.

**Beta: Thanks Dawn! The end is in sight... well a few chapter away, but in sight!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Be warned that torture is a part of this arc and it is a part of this chapter.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

** If you are not squeamish and want to be surprised at what happens, don't read the sentences below... ; - D

Umm, if you are squeamish... stop reading when the stiletto is mentioned. Just saying. Not a gory or really bloody chapter... but still, there's a stiletto...

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen:**

Dr. Canalor drew a deep breath as he entered the room where three people awaited him – a guard, Prince Lotor, and Commander Kogane. One last torture session before they attempted to break free of this place. Looking around the room, Canalor noticed that it seemed that Prince Lotor was finally realized that Kogane was no threat in his current physical state.

"Ahhh, Doctor, I'm glad you're here! I've decided to make this session fairly quick, but I want you to give the commander something so that he stays awake for at least a couple of hours." Lotor was at his favorite cabinet of torture instruments, glancing over his shoulder from time to time as he spoke.

Canalor went to the medical cabinet and filled a syringe with the needed medicine. As he walked back over to Keith, he casually asked, "And what plans do you have for Kogane this time, my Prince?"

Keith opened his eyes and looked at the doctor as he inserted the syringe in his arm. He thought he saw sympathy in his eyes. The doctor had been the only one here that had showed him any compassion. Of course, he hadn't expected much compassion here. Feeling the drug course through him, it made him hyperaware and sensitive. His eyes widened as his tormented body cried out to him. A small gasp escaped him as he closed his eyes against the agony and his body convulsed, bringing a fresh wave of torment.

Looking up, Canalor saw the prince coming over to the table with a stiletto. He momentarily closed his eyes. Had the witch made a miscalculation with her fortune telling? Was Kogane already dead before the team arrived in her vision? He would watch, wait, and do what he could.

Holding the stiletto lightly in his hands, Lotor admired the deadly look of the blade. When he stood over the body of his restrained victim, he laid it gently on the table. Lotor then peeled off his gloves and laid them at the head of the table. "Commander, look at me." He waited. "I know you think it can't get worse, but it can get sooooo much worse. I suggest you look at me now, while you still have eyes to see me." He was rewarded by the commander's eyes snapping open. "I'm glad to see I have your attention. The doctor has done a wonderful job patching you up. He did such a good job, that I feel obligated to spill a little more of your blood." Lotor carefully picked up the stiletto and looked at the position of Keith's body. He was going to enjoy this greatly.

Keith looked straight into the yellow eyes of his tormentor as he leaned over. Lotor's face was just a foot away, close enough that some of the prince's white hair brushed across his face and he could smell the wine on his breath.

Lotor smiled at him and softly said, "I look forward to bringing Allura here." And then with their eyes still locked, he moved his arm and brought the blade quickly down through Keith's side. There was a 'clink' as the metal blade met the surface of the metal table. Lotor leaned back as he saw Keith's eyes widen and then roll back. Keith's head tilted back exposing the length of his neck. Raising his voice slightly, Lotor said, "When she sees the pain I can bring you, she will do _anything_ I ask." Lotor straightened.

Canalor let out a small gasp as he saw Lotor's hand leave the blade buried to its hilt in Kogane's side. Walking around the table to look at the blade and wound, he saw that Lotor had strategically placed the blade only an inch or so in. This made it unlikely that he had hit any major organs, including the intestinal system. It was the only major concern besides bacteria that may have been on the blade and introduced into the body. That being said, the doctor realized that the commander would be able to survive this wound if it were pulled straight out and the wound treated. But what did Lotor have in mind? "My Prince, that was a brilliant thrust. You have placed the blade so that the commander will suffer pain but live."

"Yes, I had thought about cutting him further in the gut, but I know that would have a long recovery time. It would hinder my fun." He said this last with the wave of a hand and a smile.

Canalor started getting nervous about the time. He would HAVE to stitch the commander up before they left. "How long do you want to leave the blade in before I stitch him back up?" His hands were clenched in fists at his sides as the Prince's answer was crucial to the plan.

Looking at his hand, Lotor noticed some blood on it so he moved over to the sink to rinse it off.

Contrasting the pristine white towel that Lotor dried his hands on with the broken, bruised, and bloodied body on the table, Canalor had no answers for what he saw.

"Let's come back in a couple of hours and see how he is. I'll remove the blade at that time."

Canalor dipped his head in deference. "Prince Lotor, I think I should stay and monitor his vital signs. You did an excellent placement with the blade, but not knowing the exact placement of the commander's organs, we could have a problem. I would even venture to say that after an hour you should remove the blade if the blood loss increases."

Regarding the doctor, Lotor thought he seemed more concerned with the commander's health than was necessary, but then again, he was a healer. "Stay and monitor him doctor, but do not aid him. That would… vex me. Call me in an hour with an update on his status."

"As you command, my Prince."

Canalor watched Lotor leave the room and then he turned to have a seat in the upholstered chair he had sat in earlier. Lotor had left the guard with him. He needed to watch the guard now before he did anything to move the plan along. Occasionally standing to take vital signs, the doctor would shake his head or frown. After thirty minutes, the guard stepped out to relieve himself. Canalor promptly stood. Time was of the essence as the guard would return shortly. Moving to the table, he used his fingers to move the blood around on the table and drip it over the side to appear more voluminous than it was. He was surprised to hear the commander's voice as he moved to wash his hands.

"Doctor. I know you have tried to help me." Keith's voice was hushed and slightly raspy as his eyes opened. "Lotor is right in what he said about Allura. I can't… I can't allow that. I'm asking that you just let things happen. Don't try to stop the bleeding. Just… let me go."

This was the moment. This was the moment he was changing in the future. If he didn't know of the rescue…. If he didn't know of the commander's importance to the Drule Empire…. He would have honored this request and he would have been the reason that the rescue team took back a body instead of a man.

Looking into Kogane's eyes, he thought they looked even darker in color, perhaps due to the paleness of his skin. Canalor spared a glance at the door. "We don't have much time. I can't honor that request, Commander." He saw despair in Keith's eyes and quickly continued. "Your friends are coming to rescue you very soon, and I am helping them." Smiling for a moment at the surprise in Keith's eyes, the smile faded as he said, "I can't stand the brutality of my own people. I will be going with you."

Sensing the sincerity and honesty in the words of the doctor, he had to push away the haze of pain that was trying to drown out all rational thought in his mind. It was hard, but he managed to get the words out. "They will have problems trusting you. When you talk to Allura…." It was getting harder to speak. "Ask her about the birthmark… looks like Zarkon." He gave in to the pain and let out a moan as he closed his eyes again.

Canalor looked at the commander. A birthmark that looked like Zarkon? He wanted to ask more but could not as the guard entered the room. Returning to his seat to wait thirty more minutes, Canalor offered up a prayer that Lotor would allow him to sew the commander up at that time. Blood slowly dripped from the table to the floor as he sat thinking.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters. Canalor is mine.

**Beta: Dawn! ;-D Big thanks for hanging in there with the tough dark chapters!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. The order of my related stories is: Mistletoe & Valentines (1), Hidden Hearts (2), and Retaliation (3). Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Lotor is not kind or nice anywhere in this story. Be warned that torture is a part of this arc but it is NOT a part of this chapter.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

** Should be fine to read.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty: Everything Comes Together**

Haggar stepped away from the king and leaned heavily on her knobby wooden staff. Sharing visual images in this manner placed a strain on her physically. Once she was sure the commander was alive and away from Doom, she would have to take some time in her chambers.

Opening his eyes, Zarkon grunted at the witch. They were alone in the throne room, but it felt crowded to him. All the images from Haggar's vision still seemed to be floating in the air around him, pushing him, demanding to be addressed. "You think this is true?"

"I do. I wouldn't have shared it with you if I didn't. Do you think I enjoy being weakened in this manner?"

Zarkon let out another grunt that rumbled. "No, I suppose you don't. I wouldn't have helped that fool son of mine if I had thought that your vision would be the outcome. I thought that getting revenge would help relieve his obsession. Instead, I've turned obsession into insanity."

"But I have a plan my king, one that will preserve the reputation of your empire. It will also remove the prince from a temptation to repeat this… event any time soon." And with that, Haggar began.

_At the same time…_

An hour had passed, and Canalor had summoned the prince. The door to the room opened and the doctor watched as Lotor languidly made his way across the room.

"You were very prompt with your call, Doctor." Lotor looked at the blood that dripped sluggishly from the lip of the table to the tile floor. "I'm glad you followed my instructions. What do your readings tell you about the prisoner?" He started tapping the table with his fingers.

Canalor saw the tapping fingers and wasn't sure if it was just a habit or if the prince was irritated. It was best if he presented everything factually and without sentiment. If the Prince didn't let him close the wound, the rescue team would leave a blood trail all the way to the escape ship. It would endanger the entire mission. He looked confidently in Prince Lotor's eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "They tell me that the commander may need to have a transfusion if the blood flow is not stopped soon. His pulse has become thready over the last fifteen minutes, but it will return to normal once the bleeding has stopped or he receives a transfusion." He paused here. "Do you have a compatible blood supply available for me to use?"

A frown formed between Lotor's eyes. "No. No I don't. I should have made provisions…." He paused before saying, "Sew him up doctor. I will start checking for human slaves with the same blood type and have them brought to the compound." A smile started forming. "Having a blood donor available will be very handy. Thank you for the idea, Doctor. Here, let me get the stiletto out of your way." With a quick movement Lotor reached and pulled the blade almost directly out the same path as it had entered. They both cast glances at the commander as he let out a small cry as the blade was withdrawn from his body.

Drawing a breath of relief as the blade was removed with little additional damage done, Canalor said, "Thank you, my Prince. I will begin the procedure to close the wound in a few minutes. Would you like for the commander to remain awake during the procedure?"

Clapping the doctor on the back, Lotor laughed and said, "I didn't think you had it in you! Yes, by all means. While I wouldn't mind staying for the procedure, I think I will return to my room for some… other recreation. I'll try to have a blood donor for you by tonight." Lotor turned and headed to the door but stopped to call out, "I'll see you later tonight Kogane. I think I'd like to try out the thumb screws from Earth." He laughed and exited the room, the door closing softly behind him.

The doctor went about preparing his instruments. He hated doing this without a sterile setting. The stiletto had already introduced possible harmful bacteria into the body. The non-sterile setting wouldn't help, but in a way, this was similar to a battlefield setting where you did the best you could. If the patient lived, it would be a success. Canalor looked over to the guard who had moved to look at some of the torture instruments. Lowering his voice, he said, "If you can hear me, Commander, I'm sorry that I cannot provide you with sedation. If Lotor comes back, we have to be following his rules." He thought he saw an almost imperceptible nod.

He began his work and focused on the job at hand and not the tension and cries from his patient. '_Soon Commander_,' he thought. '_Soon, I'll be able to give you something.' _After a quarter hour, the result of several days of torture and blood loss caught up with Keith's body. The small bit of adrenaline that was left in his body from the shot earlier dissipated and he felt the tension leave his patient as he slumped into unconsciousness.

_As Canalor was operating…_

Allura and Lance waited in the shadow of the compound timing their heart rate. Lance spared a glance at their small backpacks that were placed against the wall of the compound. They were out of sight and tight to the wall. He kept his fingers on his pulse. He hoped to have his near normal before they entered so that he would be at his peak for the return trip to the shuttle. Looking at Allura as she took long slow breaths, he knew that she didn't have a prayer for getting her heart rate back to normal. He doubted that she had had a normal heart rate since the afternoon Lotor showed up. Now, here they were on Doom, days later, waiting to complete their mission to bring her husband and his best friend home. They had talked about the mission on the flight to Doom, but had hardly spoken since they landed. Lance had run a scan for Keith's tracker when they had reached the wall of the compound, but it still wasn't registering. Perhaps there was some shielding in the room where they held him. Something for them to consider in the future. Right now, they could only trust that Canalor hadn't lured them into some kind of trap.

Allura tugged a little at her tight-fitting black uniform as she monitored her heart rate. While the uniform was great for hiding them in the shadows, it wasn't very comfortable. But then, she wasn't here for comfort. She stopped timing her heart rate. '_Who am I kidding?'_ Lance had to know that her heart was in her throat. The Drule doctor had indicated that Keith was hurt and she knew that he would be. She had to maintain her control when they found him. She had told Lance that she wouldn't look at Keith until he told her to do so. He would try to make sure that Keith's worst injuries were covered to help maintain her control. Perhaps it was a cowardly thing to do, but it would be worse if she went into hysterics and Lance had to get both of them out. Or worse, she could endanger the entire mission with an outburst. No, this would be best. It was almost time. She closed her eyes and mentally repeated her mantra. _"Let it be far away. Let it be far away."_


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters. Canalor is mine.

**Beta: Dawn! ;-D Dark chapters are done!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Be warned that torture is a part of this arc but it is NOT a part of this chapter.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

** The rest of the chapters will be fine to read.

For a couple of guest reviews... some answers: Smithy - hope your headache is better. : - D Guest 1- indeed, silence for past and current torture victims. A lot of what I wrote was taken from actual torture techniques that go back to the middle ages. As for Keith, all anatomy stays intact (except some nails). ;-D Guest 2 - With the aim of luring Arus into a false sense of security, the bulk of Zarkon's fleets would be stationed away from Arus. The story takes place in less than a week. Zarkon probably could have had a decent fleet to sent in that amount of time, but perhaps they are thinking with Keith out of the way, they can take Arus at any time. But you are right, a chink in the story, but hopefully, not too large. ; - D

For everyone: Rescue is at hand!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One: Time to Go**

Canalor took a deep breath and stretched his long frame, tight with tension from the stress of the last few days. Fifteen minutes earlier, he had finished working on the commander and had finished cleaning up the area and himself. Kogane's blood was on him in more ways than one. Now it was time to start the escape plan. Glancing as his timing mechanism, he realized the Voltron Force would be here in fifteen minutes. It was time to take the chamber guard out of the equation. It was cutting it a little close, but he had been afraid to do it any sooner in case Lotor decided to make an unscheduled visit.

Canalor walked back to the table and muttered under his breath, letting out a few curses while looking at the commander. Glancing over at the guard, he waved him over. "Look, do you see that on the commander's neck?" When the guard leaned over, the doctor pushed him down to the table and administered a sedative. The guard struggled for only a few moments before slumping to the floor. Canalor gave the guard an additional sedative before moving his body to the back of the cell that Keith had used. He thought it appropriate, but he didn't think too much about the fate that would await the guard for failing to contain them.

The doctor looked at the commander's exposed body. He truly wished he could conceal some of the wounds from the arriving team. From what the queen had said, he believed that she would come. However, there was nothing he could do, as the prince didn't see the need for any sheets or clothing for his victim. His head turned at the soft knock.

Both Lance and Allura had their blasters drawn as they waited on either side of the door they had been told housed Keith and the Drule doctor. So far, they had not encountered anyone, only catching a glimpse of a Drule soldier as they turned a corner, and he was heading away from them. The intelligence that the doctor had given them had so far been accurate and invaluable. Lance looked at Allura again. It was incredibly dangerous having her here and Keith would probably assign him to midnight shift for months for allowing it. After he softly knocked on the door, he thought back to the embrace and strange words she had muttered when he had told her she could come. It didn't matter what others thought; she deserved to be here. He focused back on the task at hand as he heard a soft click of the door.

Canalor opened the door to find a blaster pointed directly at his head. Looking intensely at the young man in front of him, he stated, "Lt. McLain, you are right on schedule. Come in quickly." Opening the door wider, the muscular soldier and the slight womanly figure of the queen slipped inside like a whisper. He closed the door. There was no lock from this side, only the outside. He turned to find the queen's blaster trained on him while the lieutenant was unzipping his backpack. "I'm on your side. I know it's hard, but you can trust me." He was caught off-guard as something hit him in the chest and fell to the floor in front of him.

Using a quiet tone, Lance said, "We've decided that you'll wear the harness and carry the commander. Drules are naturally stronger than we are, and unless you're good with a blaster, I need to be able to defend us. Do you have any issues with that, Doctor?"

Canalor reached down and picked up the harness. "I have no problem with that, Lieutenant. I am a very bad shot. However, I will need assistance with this as I'm not sure how to put it on properly."

Lance nodded. "I'll help you once I've attended to the commander." Lance knew this would need an explanation since it was obvious that he wouldn't be providing any medical attention. "I'm going to put some clothes on Keith to cover his wounds. The queen will be able to assist us better if the torment inflicted by your prince isn't so obvious."

The doctor could hear the pain and fury in the soldier's words. Knowing his words wouldn't help, he stayed silent until he remembered Kogane's words. "The commander said you would have a difficult time believing me. He believed me and told me to ask the queen something."

Allura's stare was hard and penetrating. "What did he say?" She kept the blaster on him while he answered.

"He told me to ask you about the birthmark that looks like King Zarkon." Canalor watched as the blaster lowered and a fleeting smile crossed her face.

"Allura, are you sure?" Lance asked. He had removed the dark loose fitting clothing from her backpack and was ready to start on Keith.

Allura took a steadying breath as she holstered the blaster. "I'm completely sure, Lance." Smiling some more, she heard him mutter something about wondering where that birthmark was located. Turning to the doctor, she said, "I'll help you with the harness."

With Allura helping, Canalor was able to get the harness on quickly. He looked over Allura's shoulder and saw that Lance was struggling to help the commander into a loose open front shirt. The queen was anxiously looking at him, trying to divine what might be going on behind her back. "Queen Allura, don't turn around yet. I need to help the lieutenant. We'll have him ready in just a few minutes." Seeing her nod, he moved to assist Lance.

Lance had walked stiffly to the table that held his friend's body. _Was there a place without a bruise?_ he thought as he looked over the figure wearing only a dirty and bloody pair of underwear. He quickly took in the injuries that he could easily identify – broken leg, fractured or broken ribs, missing nails, and a wound to the abdomen. These were just the injuries that he could easily see. What other injuries were hidden from his view? He found out as he went to lift Keith to put the shirt on and felt the torn skin of his back. Barely stifling the curse that he wanted to release, he looked up with fury at the doctor who was now moving over to assist him. As the doctor reached to take the shirt and work Keith's arms in to the loose sleeves, Lance asked menacingly through gritted teeth, "What did that bastard do to him?" Lance was surprised to see the look of sorrow and compassion cross the doctor's face. It was even more surprising to hear it in his voice.

"What the prince did was brutal and unforgiveable… I was unable to do anything. I felt so helpless, but if I did too much, Lotor would have banned me from the room." Canalor couldn't look into the eyes of this man who obviously cared for the commander. This wasn't the concern of a subordinate for a commanding officer; this was a man holding the tortured body of a close friend. He would be lucky if the lieutenant didn't kill him right now.

Listening to the words of the doctor, Lance saw the care that he used when putting on the shirt on his friend. Keith was out but the doctor was treating him like he was awake, being so careful with the bruised and battered limbs. He couldn't be angry at this man. This man had probably saved Keith's life. Lance knew his anger was for another blue-skinned Drule who didn't know what compassion was. Knowing that the doctor had to be apprehensive, he figured it was time that he relieved him a little. "I would like to thank you for what you have done for Commander Kogane. We can't even begin to repay you."

A small smile passed Canalor's lips. "You owe me nothing and I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to leave me behind. But if you want to thank me, then honor my request to leave with you. I want to bring compassion to my people, but I can't do it from here, and I can't do it right now." The shirt was now on and although blood was already staining it, it did disguise the severity of the wounds.

"Your request will be honored doctor." Lance said with a nod and then called, "Allura, you can come over now and help me get Keith into the harness."

Allura took a deep breath and turned around. The two men would be watching her closely, looking for signs of emotional instability. She had to maintain her control if she were to be of help to Keith. As she walked closer, her breathing quickened. Keith's unconscious form rested heavily against Lance. It was a good thing that they had put the clothing on Keith because what she was seeing on just the small amount of exposed skin made her want to vomit. His face was bruised, but it was his hands and feet that shocked her. She could see where something had been driven under his fingernails and some of his toenails were missing. Letting out a breath she was holding, she asked, "Okay, Lance, how can I help?"

Lance gave her a tight smile and together they got Keith into the harness on the doctor's back. She was doing well. When they were done, he said, "Let's take him home."


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters. Canalor is mine.

**Beta: Dawn! ;-D Whew!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. Has as a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Be warned that torture is a part of this arc but it is NOT a part of this chapter.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

** The rest of the chapters will be fine to read.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Headed Home**

An hour later they were back at the shuttle. While Lance hadn't needed to fire his blaster, it had been very helpful to have the doctor carry Keith. Lance had been free to scout ahead and secure the way. The doctor had told him that an hour was the most they would have. By that time, he felt that Lotor would have returned to check on his victim. Even though Canalor had assured him that Haggar wanted them to escape, he just couldn't trust that information. If Haggar knew that Allura was with them, she would probably attack them full force. It would be an extremely forceful attack if she knew there were three Voltron pilots on the shuttle that included the queen and the commander. All bets would be off. Now he was powering up the shuttle and running final checks. He heard an increase in chatter on the Drule com system and figured that the cat was out of the bag. They would need to lift off soon.

In the back of the small craft, the doctor worked carefully and quietly to hook fluids up to the commander as well as a bag of his blood type. He was glad that they had sent the blood as he requested. Keith's wounds had reopened on the rough trek back to the craft. He would soon address the wounds again, although he wouldn't attempt anything major on the shuttle. He just needed to stabilize him until they were able to take him to a proper facility with all the needed instruments.

Allura watched the Drule doctor work silently and with great care on Keith. He was a mystery to her, a Drule with great compassion who was willing to risk his life to save a human. She felt the craft shudder quietly as Lance began liftoff. The com unit buzzed and then Lance spoke, "You should both be belted in until we are free of Doom's airspace and I determine if there is pursuit."

Canalor sat down beside Allura and buckled in. He needed to finish one last bandage on the commander's side, and then he was planning on applying antiseptic to some small open cuts. The commander's feet would also demand his attention when he was allowed to rise. He planned to spend some time cleaning the wounds left by the removal of his toenails. They were already showing some signs of infection, and he could take care of that with the supplies he had. Canalor also thought it would make the queen feel better as he saw her looking at the missing toenails. He was startled out of his mental planning by her voice.

"Why? Why have you done so much so for someone you barely know? Why have you risked your own torture?"

Looking at her for a moment and then back at his hands, he quietly replied, "Back in the compound, I told the lieutenant that I want to bring compassion to my people. I learned how to feel compassion when I trained for several years off-world. Thinking only to gain factual knowledge and skills that I could use to assist my people, I learned so much more. I saw the caring of other doctors for their patients and I saw the compassion shown by many for the injured and afflicted. It is not something seen on Doom often. I saw the benefit of love and compassion to the health of a patient. I had to cultivate the emotion and grow it, but when I cried at the death of a patient I couldn't save, I knew that it was within me. I had hoped to demonstrate and grow compassion in the Drule court, but those in power currently do not want to try. I will have to wait for an opportunity on Doom when the current regime is gone. For now I will work with those Drules who wish to come off-world to learn. But to answer your question, my compassion has grown so much that when I saw what was being done to your husband, I knew I had to act. If I didn't try to do something… well, my spirit would have died along with him. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes." It was all that she had to say, but she felt that she needed to say more. "I have always tried to see the good that can be in a person but Doom has made it… difficult for me to see that about the Drule people. You are actually the first Drule that I have met that-"

Lance's voice broke into her statement. "Looks like we just made it out before they scrambled their fighters. They must think we're still on the planet. You can get out of your harnesses now. Doctor, when you're through with the commander, I'd like for you to come to the cockpit and speak with Dr. Gorma on Arus."

Having already unsnapped his harness, he turned to Allura, "Your Highness, you don't have to say more about my people. I know their disposition better than anyone." His eyes shifted to Keith, "I have a little more work to do and then I will speak to Dr. Gorma."

Allura hesitated, but gained the courage to ask, "Is there anything I can do to assist you?"

Canalor didn't even have to turn around to know how nervous the queen was. Her anxiety for her husband was almost palpable. She needed something to do besides sit and watch him on the return trip to Arus. Easily thinking of several small tasks that she could assist with, he put her to work on diagnostic readings and fixing bandages.

With the commander's wounds addressed and the queen working quietly, Canalor made his way to the cockpit.

Lance gestured to the co-pilot seat, flipped a few buttons and adjusted some dials and then spun the seat to face Canalor. Crossing his arms, he stared at the doctor who looked him back straight in the eye. "How are they doing?"

The doctor noticed that the lieutenant had included the queen in his request. "Commander Kogane is stable and I have no reason to think that physically he won't recover fairly quickly. Queen Allura is holding up well. She has been assisting me with small tasks and is monitoring his vitals for me while I am relaying information."

"Did his vitals really need to be monitored?"

"No. I think you know that she needed something to help her maintain her control." Canalor continued looking McLain in the eye. He wondered if Lance would ask the question he was expecting. Canalor wasn't surprised when it came.

"You said the commander would recover physically. You are expecting some psychological problems? Post-traumatic stress perhaps?

"Aren't you expecting it, Lieutenant?" Canalor asked softly. He could tell by the look in McLain's eyes that he was. "In just a few moments, I'm going to tell Dr. Gorma what Prince Lotor did to your friend. I wasn't there for all of it, but for a majority of it. When I've given him the facts, give me your answer."

Nodding, Lance connected communications to the medical facility on Arus. He sat quietly clenching and unclenching his fists as Dr. Canalor provided details of Keith's medical condition and how the injuries occurred. When Canalor signed off, it took several minutes before Lance could speak. Canalor didn't move while Lance worked to compose himself and his questions. "Did he seem okay mentally through most of it? Did he ever lose it?"

"No, he never lost it. It probably added to Prince Lotor's irritability that he had been unable to rattle the man he loathes so much. The commander wasn't going to give up because of what the prince did to him, he was going to give up because of what the prince was going to use him to do."

Lance's head snapped up at Canalor's words. "What do you mean he was going to give up?"

"When Prince Lotor gave the commander that abdomen wound, Lotor told him that he would bring Allura there. He was planning on torturing him in front of her. Lotor said that she would then do anything he wanted to spare the commander. Later, your friend asked me to stop helping him, to let things take their natural course. He said he couldn't allow himself to be used that way against the queen." Canalor drew a deep breath here. "If Haggar hadn't spoken to me, I would have honored the request."

Lance nodded, unable to blame the doctor. Patching someone up just so they could be tortured some more had to be difficult for someone with a conscious and compassion. It seemed like Canalor had both. Based on what the doctor said, Keith could have some issues. The fact that he remained so strong boded well for his recovery. Then there was the fact that his beautiful wife would do everything in her power to help him. "Thanks for telling me." Then Lance swung his chair back around to the console. "Do what you can back there; it won't be much longer before I'll be giving you the fifteen minute countdown."

Canalor stood and headed back to his patient. They would soon be on Arus. He hadn't thought much about where he would go once he left Doom. It was time he started thinking.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters. Canalor is mine.

**Beta: Thanks so much Dawn!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. Has a rating of Mature for most chapters for physical violence. Be warned that torture is a part of this arc but it is NOT a part of this chapter.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

** re: torture- The rest of the chapters will be fine to read.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Enough of this Medical Waiting Room**

Once again in the dreaded med facility waiting room, Allura waited. They had been welcomed at the landing area by Dr. Gorma and his team. Dr. Canalor had gone with them to wash, change and assist them. Coran and Pidge had been waiting for Lance and Allura. Coran had insisted that they both go shower and change before they met in Hunk's room to update everyone. Now they were just waiting for Keith to be out of surgery.

Allura hugged her arms tightly to her body. With all the time they had taken showering, changing, and updating, he should have been finished in the OR by now, unless they had encountered more hidden internal injuries. Her pacing increased until Lance just stood up and pulled her into an embrace.

Lance hadn't been able to take Allura's pacing any longer. Her anxiety was visible. The time that Gorma was taking was reasonable. It just seemed like an eternity to Allura. Whispering in her ear, he said, "Remember. He was filthy, there were stitches to replace, wounds to clean, and scans to run. He really hasn't been in there that long." He felt her body tremble. Allura turned in his arms as the door opened and Dr. Gorma walked in. Keeping an arm around her, he saw Coran and Pidge stand to receive the news.

Dr. Gorma didn't hesitate; they had been waiting long enough. "He's doing fine. He's still sedated, but should be coming out of it in an hour or so. The work that Dr. Canalor did for the commander while on Doom and then in the shuttle was invaluable. Stopping the blood loss from the wounds and then fixing the IVs on your return trip probably kept the commander from bleeding to death. We all owe him a great deal." He paused a moment before continuing with the treatments for the wounds, breaks/fractures, and the dislocations. It took some time for Gorma to make it through everything and while she didn't make a sound, Dr. Gorma noticed a silent tear slide down the queen's face.

"When can I see him, Doctor?" Allura asked quietly.

"Give the staff just a few more minutes. We're making an addition to his room." Gorma saw the confused looks and continued. "I felt that the queen would wish to stay with the prince consort until he's released or at least improved. I am having another bed brought into the room so that she won't have to sleep in that uncomfortable chair."

There were smiles around the room. The doctor had done the perfect thing.

Coran spoke up, "I'll contact Nanny immediately, Your Highness. She'll bring down the items you'll need for the next few days." At Allura's nod, Coran headed to the com unit.

"I'm going to go update Hunk," Pidge said and headed for the door.

As the door closed, Allura asked, "When do you think Keith will be released?"

"Just a few days, I'm keeping him primarily because of his abdomen wound. You will have a tough job though, Queen Allura, when he gets out. I want him to rest his shoulders and do physical therapy for a couple of weeks and that means no crutches. With his broken leg, that will mean he will need to use a wheelchair for two weeks." Gorma stopped talking as Lance had let go of Allura and was holding his sides laughing. He didn't have to ask why Lance was laughing, and he let himself smile a little at Allura.

Allura moved her hands to her hips and glared at Lance. "Laugh it up, Lieutenant, but guess who I'm going to put on watch with me?"

Lance was still chuckling and shaking his head. He didn't have to make up mental images of Keith's irritation. Unfortunately, Keith had been hurt often enough for Lance to know exactly how irritated he would be. "Boy, is he going to be a bear. How long before you'll okay him for Lion practice, Doc?"

"Well, both Hunk and the commander should be Okayed about the same time for their physical injuries. Galaxy Garrison will require Commander Kogane to have a psychiatric eval before he can fly." Dr. Gorma gazed thoughtfully at the commander's best friend as he said, "And as the next senior officer on Arus, you will have to certify that you feel he is mentally capable to lead again. Do you think you can objectively do that, Lieutenant?"

Lance's chuckle faded away and his tone was serious. "Yes, Dr. Gorma, I can objectively do that. Do you doubt that I can?"

In an equally serious tone, the doctor replied, "No, Lieutenant, I believe you can be objective. I just wanted you to think about that before you have to make your decision." Looking over to where the queen stood, he added, "It's something you should think about too, my Queen." Silence reigned in the room as he walked to the door. "You should be able to visit him now." Then he was gone, and there was nothing left but the silence to surround Keith's best friend and his wife.

Turning from the door to Allura, he knew that she would be searching his face for answers and would expect words to explain what Dr. Gorma was talking about. A soft sigh escaped him as he walked over and took her hands. "Don't worry, Allura. Dr. Gorma is just being cautious. A psych evaluation would be done on any of us who had been through what Keith has been through. From everything Dr. Canalor has told us, I think Keith is going to do fine on the psych eval." Two blue eyes still searched his face and yet another sigh escaped his lips. "I'm not saying he won't have some flashbacks, or nightmares; that's to be expected. They won't expect him to be perfect or act like nothing has happened. In fact, that would concern them more." He saw her nod and some of the concern left her face.

Drawing a deep breath, she squeezed Lance's hands. "Okay, Lance, I won't worry about that. Let's go see Keith now."

They had been waiting in Keith's room for about hour. The room was very quiet with only the sounds of the monitors and their movements to be heard. Neither of them wanted to talk right now. They just wanted Keith to open his eyes.

Allura sat with her arms cushioning her head on the side of the bed. She had refused to lie down on the extra bed that had been brought for her, wanting to stay at Keith's side for now. Lance sat for a while, paced for a while, and was now propped against the wall on the opposite side of the bed from Allura. They would wait together for as long as it took.

Keith's first thought was, "I don't feel any pain." His second thought followed it quickly, "Don't get your hopes up." Then he heard the voices in the background and felt a soft familiar hand slip into his. As he heard a heart monitor increase in noise and intensity, he felt the soft bed and knew he was home. He managed a weak smile as he opened his eyes. Tired dark brown eyes met blue eyes that spilled tears down onto his bandaged ribs. He slowly lifted his hand to her face and brushed away the tears. "You said you would bring me back."

Allura grabbed his hand and pulled it from her face. Clenching it tight in both hands against her chest, she couldn't talk yet. She looked to Lance who was just finishing talking to Dr. Gorma who had come into the room.

Dr. Gorma proceeded to ask Keith some questions and check on some of his wounds. Feeling confident that the pain was under control and informing the visitors not to tire him out, he left the room. He wouldn't run anyone out of the commander's room today. The man had just awoken from a nightmare; he needed to see and hear his friends.

Walking over to the bed, Lance tried to keep the mood light, "So, I'm tired of being in command. I need you to follow the doctor's orders so that you can take back over. I'm afraid I'm just not stuffy enough to be giving orders all the time." As he saw Keith smile at that, he knew his friend was going to be okay. They had gotten him out before Lotor could break him.

Keith glanced from his smiling friend to the love of his life who was still crying. "So what did you do to my wife to make her lose her voice?"

Wiping away another tear that was coursing down her face, she said, "I haven't lost my voice, and you're going to be hearing a lot of it until Dr. Gorma releases you from his care." Her tears were drying up and a hint of laughter entered her voice. "I plan on being the stick-in-the-mud, by the book queen in terms of you following doctor's orders."

Keith refrained from laughing as he knew that the pain meds wouldn't be enough if he did. Then things started coming back to him quickly. He squeezed Allura's hand urgently. "Hunk. Dr. Canalor. Are they okay? Where's Pidge?"

Lance's voice washed like calm over Keith as he said, "Everyone is fine except you, my friend. Hunk took that shot to the gut, but with the advances in medicine and the quick response, he'll be back on duty in less than a month now. Pidge is giving him the good news about you. Dr. Canalor made it off Doom without a scratch and is currently with Dr. Gorma talking medical mumbo-jumbo. As you could probably guess, they have hit it off." Lance paused for a moment. "Dr. Gorma says that he probably saved your life with his medical attention."

"I can tell you for a fact he did. He did everything that Lotor would allow and then some." Keith closed his eyes.

Lance and Allura looked at each other with some concern.

Without opening his eyes, Keith said, "It's okay… I'm okay." He opened his eyes and looked from his wife to his friend. "There were some things he stopped Lotor from doing… Let's just say, Dr. Canalor did a lot of persuading that kept me alive."

Lance and Allura didn't push for any details; their imaginations were enough.

Before the silence stretched out too long, Allura started telling Keith what had occurred during his absence. Lance watched them with a slightly envious eye. He knew that Allura would be by Keith's side constantly until he was well. Not that he begrudged his friend; his thoughts just went to what would happen if he were laid up in the bed like Keith or Hunk. Keith would have Allura there constantly with other friends in and out. The other Force members, including him, would have just their friends in and out. No blood-related family. No spouse. Yes, having someone who was your soul mate was something that one night stands couldn't provide. He watched as Allura leaned over and placed a careful kiss on Keith's lips. Perhaps he should think about giving up one night stands….


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters. Canalor is mine.

**Beta: Dawn! ;-D **

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. Be warned that torture is a part of this arc but it is NOT a part of this chapter.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

** The rest of the chapters will be fine to read.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Healing and Guilt**

A week had passed and marked improvement was evident in the two injured space explorers. Hunk was moving around easily, but was restricted to light duty, which was driving him crazy. Keith was driving everyone else crazy as they tried to restrict the activities and movements of the self-sufficient commander

Allura was tapping her foot impatiently as Dr. Gorma reiterated to Keith the importance of his physical therapy. He needed to let his shoulders heal properly as well as his side and ribs. She listened as Keith gave reasons for not resting and following orders.

Raising his hand, he silenced the rambling officer. "Here's the deal, Commander. I have the authority to keep you grounded until you are healed to my satisfaction. Keep that in mind. The psychiatrist is arriving tomorrow and will be evaluating you over the next couple of weeks. If you want to get two good evals, psych and physical, then you need to listen to your wife and myself."

Keith sat slumped in the wheelchair looking glum and sullen. It didn't make him feel any better to see Allura smiling or the fact that the doctor was right. He could tell he had been pushing himself the last couple of days and his body had started to fight back. Keith heard the doctor say something, but he didn't pay attention. He would have to put up with being pushed around in this wheelchair. Running his fingers along the tops of the wheels, he realized that Dr. Gorma was speaking to him. "I'm sorry, Doctor, could you repeat that?"

Dr. Gorma knew that Keith had momentarily zoned out on him. Was he thinking about Lotor and what happened or was he just frustrated at his physical inactivity? "I was just asking how your exercises were going."

"They're going fine, they're just… boring."

"I understand that Commander, but repetition and strengthening are the key to your shoulder recovery." Gorma waited until he had a nod of agreement. "I'll see you again in two days." He saw that Keith was about to complain about having another visit so soon. "Two days, Commander. Am I clear?"

It was a resigned voice that answered, "Perfectly clear Doctor. Can we go now?"

Allura waited for Dr. Gorma's okay and then pushed the wheelchair from the office. She wanted to take him to the balcony where they had their Valentine's date. Keith needed to be cheered up. It had been a rough week for him.

Reaching down, Keith grabbed both wheels stopping the wheelchair abruptly. Looking over his shoulder at her, he softly but firmly said, "I can do this myself." His heart warmed as a smile lit up her face. Since he had been home, he had seen the worried glances she gave him or exchanged with Lance. He watched as she moved to stand beside him and then he started rolling the chair. "Where are we going?"

"Our balcony." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him smile.

They were quiet as they made their way to the balcony overlooking Castle Lake and Black Lion. The clear shield was up and a warm breeze was blowing as they went outside.

Black Lion was there, silently waiting. Keith rolled the chair up to the rail and set the brake. Flipping up the footrests, he carefully pushed himself up and held on to the balcony rail. His eyes were locked on the Lion. "I miss flying."

It was said so softly Allura almost didn't hear him. Moving up beside him, she linked her arm with his. "It won't be long before you're back in Black." She waited for him to speak but he didn't say anything. "Do you have any doubts that you'll be certified to fly again?"

He heard the concern; she was worried about him… again. He had to get over this temporary frustration he had or he was going to worry her to death. Allura was constantly looking for signs that he was suffering from post-traumatic stress. Lance had told him what Dr. Gorma had said to both of them. Looking at his wife's profile, he saw that the wind was ruffling a few loose curls around her face. He reached a hand over and tucked one behind her ear.

Feeling his fingers brush a curl behind her ear, she looked up into his eyes and saw the tenderness that was there and turned in to his arms. She felt his arms go around her with no hesitation and hold her tight.

"You don't have to worry about me constantly. I'm back. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

This should have reassured Allura, but she could feel the light bandages that still covered most of his back. She couldn't hug him as tightly as she wanted because of his fractured ribs and puncture wound. She couldn't press against him because she might cause him to lose his balance because of his broken leg. Her heart became heavy again. All of these wounds were suffered because she had wanted to go outside and collect flowers.

Keith couldn't hear the musings in Allura's mind, but he knew her well enough to know that she was worried about him and his injuries. Moving so that he could use a finger to tilt her head up to look in her eyes, he begged, "Tell me what you are thinking." Watching as her eyes filled with tears and spilled out as she closed her eyes, he softly demanded, "Stop blaming yourself. I know that is what you are doing. It was going to happen sooner or later." Her eyes were still closed and he needed to look into them to see if he was getting through to her. "Open your eyes, Allura." She still had them closed. He leaned down and kissed her lips. Pulling back slightly in surprise, she opened her eyes. He smiled back and leaned in for a deeper kiss, one that she returned this time.

As they pulled back from each other, he saw her gazing up at him. He ran his fingers down the side of her face. "I knew Lotor would come for me. I knew he would torture me. The only thing I didn't know was when he would come. He didn't break me, Allura. Yes, he hurt me badly, but it was my body, not my mind. I never gave in to him." He could tell that he was finally getting through to her. "You are not the reason I'm hurt. There is no blame in this for you. Dr. Gorma says that once my wounds are healed he will treat the scar tissue as he has done with all my previous injuries. The scars will be lessened, but they will still be there. I don't want you thinking about what Lotor did to me when you look at my body and see the scars. I want you to be thinking of me." His lips found hers again and this time he didn't stop until she pulled back.

Giving him a genuine smile, she stepped back. She reached both hands up to cup his face. "You really are going to be fine aren't you? You don't have any worries about talking to the psychiatrist?"

"I am fine. I think talking with the psychiatrist will be good. I need to talk about what happened." He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sure I'll have some nightmares or flashbacks, but then I've had those in the past from other missions and events." His mind was replaying the day they thought Allura had died, but she had only been under a spell from Haggar. He still had nightmares about that.

"Do you think I should talk to the psychiatrist too?" The thought had been in Allura's mind. She needed to talk to someone objective about her feelings and guilt.

"I think it would be a great idea. I'm sure that you will hang on to that guilt you're feeling if you don't talk to someone neutral. Just know, that I don't think you should feel guilty at all, but I understand why you do."

A small smile played at her lips. "And what do you understand, Commander?" Her smile faded a little at the seriousness in his eyes.

"If Lotor had taken you instead of me for several days… if he had touched you… if he had hurt you like he did me…." He drew in a sharp breath and turned his face away.

She reached a hand up to turn his face back towards her and nodded. "You do understand. And actually, I understand a little better now myself." She saw him tilt his head as if to ask a question. "I would never have blamed you for anything that Lotor would have done. Never." She paused. "But you would have felt the guilt anyway, whether I blamed you or not."

Keith nodded at the understanding that Allura had come to. It was her first step to recovering from her own traumatic experience. Tightening his grip around her, he felt the slight pressure on his ribs. "You know that Dr. Gorma said that I should spend a lot of time in bed. I think that you and I should go there now."

Warmth spread through Allura as she thought about being with Keith again. They hadn't been intimate since he had returned. The doctor had told them to wait at least a week before having sexual relations again due to Keith's stitches and injuries. With his pain meds, he might not know if he was reinjuring himself. Allura had blushed furiously as the doctor gave those orders. The week was over and Keith had already been out of the med facility for two days….

"Well, my Queen?"

"I don't know, Keith…. I want to, but I'm worried about your wounds."

Keith placed a steadying hand on the balcony rail as he leaned forward to pull him to her. His lips lightly touched her ear as he sensually whispered, "I can think of a number of positions that won't strain me at all…."

Feeling the heat in her face and in other parts of her body as well, she whispered back, "Let's get you back in the chair. I think you need to go lie down for a while."


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters. Canalor is mine.

**Beta: Dawn, thanks for helping me improve my writing!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. Be warned that torture is a part of this arc but it is NOT a part of this chapter.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

** The rest of the chapters will be fine to read.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Continuing Recuperation**

It had been three weeks since Keith came home. Allura didn't take his presence for granted, and she had become slightly possessive of him. She was often seen walking closely beside him, sitting so that she touched him, and calling him on his com unit when they were apart for more than 30 minutes.

Lance chuckled as he watched Keith blush as he turned away from the fridge in the rec room right into Allura's chest. "Allura, no one's going to snatch Keith out of the rec room with all of us here." Watching as she blushed and twisted the hem of her tee shirt in her hands, he caught Keith's eye. She was stretching the fabric to the point it wouldn't return to its shape. Lance wasn't sure if his friend wanted him teasing Allura about her over protectiveness.

"Lance is right, Allura," Keith said kindly as he used a crutch to help him maneuver to the couch. Dr. Gorma was letting him use a crutch when he was in his room or somewhere he didn't have to walk around much. For long trips around the castle, he had to use the wheelchair since the doctor didn't want too much pressure on his shoulders yet.

As Keith lowered himself onto the couch, Dr. Canalor came in. His eyes quickly found Keith and Allura and he smiled as he walked over to them. It had taken the castle staff a few days to stop running and hitting alarm buttons when they turned a corner and came face to face with the tall blue doctor. Now the occurrence was rare, but it still happened.

Keith motioned to the open spot beside him. "So, are you and Dr. Gorma done picking each other's brains for the day?"

The deep laugh of the Drule doctor rang through the room. "Yes, my friend. The picking is over for today. I can't tell you how generous Gorma has been in sharing his knowledge with me."

"Dr. Gorma has also told us that you have provided him with a number of insights into human and Drule physiology," Allura pointed out.

"It's nothing, my Queen, compared to what Gorma has shared. But talking about my medical knowledge isn't why I came here this evening. I've been offered a position on Farnell. Prince Cardin has invited me to part of his royal medical staff. I have decided to accept." He raised his hand. "I know. I know that I am welcome here and I hope to visit on occasion. But having a Drule doctor on staff isn't the wisest thing for Arus right now. Your staff _needs_ to sound the alarm when they see a Drule. There is too much at stake for both of you. The staff and soldiers do not have the luxury of confirming that it is the friendly doctor before sounding the alarm."

"As usual, Doctor, you are keeping my interest at heart." Keith's voice was filled with emotion. "I'm sorry to say it, but you're right. We need to be vigilant and can't take chances. We will miss you and will expect you to visit."

"When do you plan to leave, Doctor? I want to be sure to have a celebration in your honor before you depart Arus."

Laughing, Canalor said, "My Queen, you don't have to do that, but I know you will anyway. It is your nature to be generous. I will be leaving in three weeks."

Clapping her hands together, Allura filled her voice with excitement and pleasure. "Perfect. Nanny and I will begin planning immediately."

Hunk had a large smile on his face. "A celebration means lots of good food! After being on that bland diet for weeks, I'm ready for some food that will stick to my ribs."

"Hunk, you're always ready for food." Pidge teased his friend.

Hunk had bounced back quickly, and his friends couldn't tell that he had had a severe injury just a month ago. He was going to be cleared for Lion practice next week.

Keith envied his friend that. Dr. Gorma didn't want him to get his hopes up that he would be able to start back so soon.

The laughter subsided, and Canalor asked Keith about his psych eval. "The doctor finished with me yesterday and was submitting her report today. The Force is supposed to have a conference video call with Galaxay Garrison tomorrow to go over my physical and psych evaluations. She indicated that her report would be positive, but you never know until you read it yourself."

Nodding, Canalor looked at Keith. He was amazed at the young commander's recovery – both physical and mental. The man was made of strong stuff to go through that torture and come out as he had. He watched as the queen slid her hand into Keith's. But then, he knew what he was being tortured for and what his reward would be if he came back. Canalor stood and excused himself. He had a lot he wanted to do before he left for Farnell.

The team watched him exit the room.

"I'm sorry that he has to leave," Pidge said.

"Yeah. He's a really good guy. I didn't think I'd ever say that about a Drule, but I think of him more as one of us than as one of them." Lance's eyes were still on the door that the doctor had exited. "He's definitely one of the good guys."

Hunk drew them back to the other topic of conversation. "What time is that video conference? I don't want to be late. Also, will there be snacks?"

Shaking his head as he answered, Keith said, "The meeting is at 0900 tomorrow. No snacks."

The joking with Hunk continued as Keith leaned his head back against the couch. The moment of truth would come tomorrow on his psych eval. Hopefully, the doctor hadn't lied to him.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Voltron characters. Canalor is mine.

**Beta: Dawn! ;-D Big thanks for hanging in there with the tough dark chapters, now it's all done!**

**Setting & Rating: **DotU in nature, but AU in that none of this (or events leading up to this) ever occurred in the series. I think it's possible to read this one without reading the previous stories, but it will make more sense as past story events are referenced. Be warned that torture is a part of this arc but it is NOT a part of this chapter.

**A/N:** This is my original work. There are a number of stories out there that deal with torture, but any similarities are coincidental.

Ahhh! Finally done - last chapter! But the story isn't over yet! If you haven't already, check out "Unbroken" which takes place between chapters 23 & 24 of this story. (It is part of the KAEX Challenge for 'broken.') Also, a three chapter story dealing with more of the emotional side of the recovery will come out by mid-July. I had quite a few people comment that they liked hearing about the emotional recovery part of the story, and that fic will help that. It is tenatively title "Ready to Engage?" The 'big' sequel that is about 9 chpaters will come out after that and it's called "Duchess." Thanks for reading and I hope you've enjoyed the twists and turns!

~ Paulina Ann

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Revelations Continue**

0900

The Voltron Force plus Coran were assembled in the debriefing room, and the video screen was activated.

General Graham was the first to speak. "Good morning to all of you. Commander Kogane, it is truly a pleasure to see you looking so well. I can tell that the report didn't underestimate your healing ability."

"I've had the best of care, General. I have to give them all the credit."

"Indeed they have taken care of you, Commander. Now, let's move on quickly. I know that Commander Kogane's evaluations are on everyone's mind. Let me go ahead and relieve your concerns. He has been cleared by the psychiatrist for duty and is expected to clear the physical portion in the next few weeks. It is Galaxy Garrison's decision that as soon as Dr. Gorma and Lieutenant McLain clear him, Commander Kogane will be back on active status. Once he is back on active status, he will resume his previous duties." Even the general could hear the collective sigh from the room and smiled. "Now, I have even better news."

"What could be better than that, General?" Lance quipped.

"Well, Lieutenant, we've heard from King Zarkon." He saw the faces of everyone turn serious. "Zarkon has told us that he is sending Lotor off on an extended mission with no current plans to bring him back to Doom. This isn't good news for the areas where Lotor will be sent, but Zarkon has assured us that Lotor will not repeat his actions. Well, at least with the knowledge of the king."

"Hmmmm, sounds fishy to me." Pidge said. "Have you been able to confirm Lotor's whereabouts?"

"Yes, we have, Pidge. It is as Zarkon has said."

"But what if they're using the same trick that used before and plan to come back for a surprise attack?" Lance couldn't believe that Garrison was buying this. "Why should we think this time is any different?"

"After reading the report from Dr. Canalor and speaking with Zarkon, we feel that he is speaking the truth. At least for now, we'll accept this. I know that you all have spoken with the doctor and know that Haggar was a part of Commander Kogane's escape. It seems that Zarkon is afraid of Queen Allura's wrath if the commander dies as a result of Lotor's revenge. The vision Haggar had must have been extremely vivid for Zarkon to do this 180."

Keith was looking at his hands that were placed on the table in front of him. "Does Zarkon plan to stop attacking Arus?"

"I'm afraid not. They feel that if you die in battle, then the queen's wrath will not be as great." The general paused here for a moment as Allura let out a snort. "These aren't my words, but the words from Doom. Zarkon has also said that he is searching for a bride for Lotor that will help curb his obsession with the queen." He stopped again for another snort.

Keith looked at Allura. The general wasn't used to officers snorting during meetings.

General Graham started laughing. "It's okay, Keith. She's on the Force, but she's also a queen. It isn't the first time that a queen, or king, has snorted at me. And I have to say, she has good reason." The general drew a breath and continued. "I'm not saying to relax completely, but you can't live the rest of your lives in the castle. We've put out word to our spies to sound the alarm if Prince Lotor leaves his current assigned space. We've also told Zarkon that the kidnapping and torture of a Galaxy Alliance commander and a monarch will not be tolerated."

"Thank you, General."

"Well, that concludes the meeting. Commander Kogane, Keith, we're very glad that you made it through this ordeal."

Everyone in the debriefing room stood as the meeting concluded. Keith carefully moved over to the wheelchair. Hunk asked him if wanted to go to the rec room and unwind, but he said he'd join them later. As Hunk and the guys walked away smiling at the result of the conference, Keith looked up to Allura and said, "I'd like for us to go to the balcony."

Allura smiled down at him, but she was a little worried. He didn't seem as happy as he should over the results of the video call. He would be back in command soon. He would be flying again soon. What was creating this shadow?

They made their way silently to the balcony. The shield was up and the Arusian sun was casting small shadows over the landscape as the day neared noon.

Once Keith stood and was gripping the rail, Allura moved to stand beside him, but her back was to the landscape so that she could better see his face. "Tell me."

"Both Graham and Canalor have said that if I had died, you would have avenged me by laying waste to Doom. The rule of Zarkon and Lotor would have ended. Arus would have been at peace. All of this accomplished if I had just… died."

Allura understood. He had a different kind of guilt to deal with. "I know you wish for peace. What you need to think about is that Haggar didn't show a vision of what would happen if you _lived_. I prefer to think that with you alive, we accomplish the same result… but together. We accomplish it through our shared love, not my guilt over your death, not my rage of having lost you, and not because of the emptiness that I would feel knowing you wouldn't be at my side."

Keith turned to look her. "You've already thought about this." His eyes searched hers for answers that he didn't have. It was her world that his death could have saved.

"I have. There is no argument that you can give me that I haven't already thought about. I can answer them all. I choose to be happy with the future that we have before us now. I choose to believe that our love will conquer." Allura looked up into Keith's eyes and saw the shadows leave them. It would still take him time to work through everything, and she could live with that.

Keith took her hand as she looked away to Black Lion. His voice sounded normal as he said, "Then I'll do my best to let it go. We'll face this future together." Turning his head, he gave her an impish grin. "I have to say that I like a future that we face together. My death and your obvious rage over it are not part of a future I want to see any time soon." Letting go of her hand, he touched her face. "I don't think that future would have been the best for Arus."

"Do you remember what I said to you before Lotor took you?"

Turning to lean his hip against the balcony, he took some of the pressure off of his leg. He looked straight into her eyes with intensity. "I remember every word. It's part of what kept me going. You said, _'Remember my wedding vow. There is nothing I will not do and nowhere that I will not go for you. I will get you back._'"

Allura moved in close to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Let that be your final answer to any questions you have. I would defy the future to keep you with me."

Leaning down, he kissed her gently until he pulled back to look into her eyes. They were soul mates. They had defied tradition, Doom, and even death itself because of their love. Keith felt her arms move to encircle his neck as he leaned down to kiss her again. He didn't want to tempt fate, but what could possibly stop them now?


End file.
